The Heart of Akane Tendo
by RankoFan
Summary: Akane and Ranma weren't ready to be married, that much should have been obvious to anyone who knew them. They were however, finally ready to try a real relationship. Despite a few setbacks, things seem to be going well for the couple. What happens when an old enemy returns bent on destroying them in revenge and what does Friday the 13th have to do with it?
1. Aftermath of a Failed Wedding

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Prologue

_Aftermath of a Failed Wedding_

_._

_._

The evening of the failed wedding found everyone's nerves, especially Ranma's, shot beyond recognition from all of the chaos earlier in the day. His mind refused to quiet down as it replayed over and over a certain conversation he had had with Akane before all hell had broken loose in the dojo. Both of the Kuno siblings tried to recapture their respective suitors. Tatewaki tried in vain to kill Ranma with a real katana while Koadchi showed up in a wedding dress. Ukyo and Shampoo threw exploding food all over the place and caused quite the disruption. Shampoo went so far as to actually try to hurt Akane but it was unclear whether or not Ukyo had as well. As if all of that chaos wasn't enough, there were other trouble makers and as a consequence, the dojo was nearly completely destroyed. Happosai drank the congratulatory Nannīchuan water like it was sake while Mousse, Genma and Ryoga all had tried to steal it for their own selfish purposes. Nabiki sat back with a smile on her face as she greedily counted entry fees being the perfect example of a heartless wench inviting all of Nerima's lunatics to wreck the wedding between him and the mercenary's own little sister.

Dinner was a quiet affair that evening and Ranma sighed heavily as he picked at his food slowly while looking around the table. Hardly any words were spoken and the black haired boy found his thoughts bouncing back and forth from area of his brain to another in a painful game of pong. He shut his eyes tightly in a vain attempt to block out the world so that his mind might quiet down. Ranma sighed irritably when he opened his eyes again and a wave of dizziness washed over him from the sudden influx of light. The pigtailed martial artist mentally cursed himself and went back to picking at his dinner at a pace even a snail would find slow.

He ignored his father and Mr. Tendo as they briefly mentioned the failure of the wedding and how the schools would never be joined. Nabiki's face was difficult to read as usual, but Ranma figured she was absolutely delighted with how things had turned out that afternoon. Kasumi's face concealed her inner pain as she displayed her typical calm and collected mask she typically wore. Nodoka was frowning in disappointment that the wedding had been disrupted. She had been quite happy that the two youngest were going to be wed only to have it all fall apart. Akane, well, she wasn't even at the dinner table having declared that she wasn't hungry earlier. Ranma wondered what would happen now that everything lay in tatters.

"Ranma", Kasumi said serenely, "Would you please take some dinner up for Akane? I know she said she wasn't particularly hungry but she should really eat something tonight."

"Sure", Ranma replied as he stood up and took the tray upstairs. The pigtailed martial artist was clad in a pair of black pants and a blue Chinese shirt. He paused outside Akane's door wondering just how loud he wanted to be. If she was asleep he would rather not wake her up but he couldn't just walk in unannounced either. Ranma pursed his lips and knocked on the door in a polite manner so as to not wake her up if she happened to be asleep. Silence.

"Akane?", Ranma asked hesitantly. Silence. Figuring she was asleep he slipped into her room quietly and looked around in the diminished light and found no trace of his fiancée. He walked over towards her desk and looked out the opened window as he set the tray down, wondering if she was on the roof thinking about things.

Ranma decided not to bother the raven haired girl and walked back into the dining room in order to finish his own dinner. He knew he had a lot to think about and would need a calm and relaxing place to do it. If Akane was on the roof, Ranma figured she wouldn't appreciate him barging in on her space despite it being his favorite place to think. The dojo's roof was out of the question for now since it had been heavily damaged during the afternoon attack. Ranma decided he could go to the park in an effort to clear his head.

"Ranma", Nodoka said casually, "I would like to speak with you after dinner please."

"Um, okay Mom. Do you want to talk to me as a guy or a girl?", Ranma asked quietly, not personally caring at the moment which form he would be in for their talk. The curse was a nuisance, but he was so used to it that it didn't really bother him nearly as much as it used to. It was more being a water magnet and changing randomly than the actual change itself that bothered him. While he would have preferred to stay male a little longer the pigtailed martial artist figured his mother would rather talk to her daughter.

"I would like to talk to my daughter if that is alright with you", Nodoka said thoughtfully as she got a far away look in her eyes and sighed wistfully. Although it seemed as though his mother was giving him a choice, Ranma knew better than to really believe that and resigned to becoming a girl for awhile.

She loved her son dearly, but what she wouldn't give to have a daughter as well. The Saotome Matriarch's mind drifted back to Ranko Tendo, Ranma's alter ego when he was hiding in plain sight before the events at the Saotome grave sight a couple months back around New Years. Ranko was a bit of a tomboy but that made perfect sense considering who she really was. Nodoka found herself often missing the feisty red-head and wished she could have both Ranma and Ranko as her children.

Nodoka wondered idly if there was a way to split Ranma into two people. Not only would she perhaps have an uncursed son, but she would have a daughter as well. If that was possible, she could adopt the new girl into the Saotome clan and have a daughter after all. The family resemblance was rather striking as Ranma's girl form looked almost exactly like she had when she was a teenager. Nodoka figured she could ask Happosai or Cologne the next time she saw either one of them. She didn't particularly trust either the ancient pervert or the Amazon Matriarch, but when it came to knowledge and magic, there was no one better to ask.

"I would like for you to wait for me out by the Koi pond. Think about your future while I help Kasumi clean up. I shouldn't be long", Nodoka said softly, but firmly.

"Of course Mom", Ranma replied as Nodoka and Kasumi walked into the kitchen to clean up the dishes everyone had used. Soun and Genma walked over to the Shogi board and started a new game while Nabiki couldn't wait to go upstairs and count her profits for the day again.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, a petite raven haired girl dressed in a yellow sundress sat on the roof overlooking the Koi pond holding a damaged wedding dress in her hands. Akane's eyes shimmered in the failing sunlight of dusk and tears tracked down her face before landing on the roof with a soft plopping sound. Why couldn't people just leave her and Ranma alone? It seemed like no matter what was going on someone was always interfering and making a mess of things. It was as if it wasn't already hard enough to figure out how they really felt about one another. Akane sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments as her thoughts drifted backwards in time to earlier that day.<p>

_Akane ran into her room, tears flowing from her eyes as she quickly closed and locked her door. She stripped off her mostly destroyed wedding dress and stared at it in her hands as she collapsed onto her bed. Scorch marks and black soot from the bombs covered a lot of it. There were a few splits from Kuno's katana and the beads on the bodice were partially ripped off from when Happosai had tried to grope her. _

_Akane shuddered in revulsion of the little ancient pervert and she threw the dress into the trashcan next to her desk. There would be no way to repair the dress even if Akane had wanted to. The youngest Tendo didn't want to remember this day and all the pain associated with it at all. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. The raven haired young woman suddenly felt incredibly dirty so she grabbed a robe and her toiletries and headed down to the furoba to take a bath._

_She stripped and sat on one of the washing stools and scrubbed herself nearly raw in a vain effort to remove Happosai's grubby little fingers from her soul. After rinsing and sliding into the tub she started to feel a lot better and relaxed in the warm water. Her thoughts inevitably wandered back to the discussion Ranma and her were having in her room just before he took off after the Nannīchuan water. The two of them had nearly gotten into a fight when she had asked him directly if he loved her. Of course, being Ranma and having anything to do with feelings he denied it. Akane had really thought he had grown up in Jusendo when she had nearly died trying to help him. In fact, hadn't she died? The events were relatively fuzzy to her but she seemed to have been in a dark room with no ceiling or floor. She could hear him calling out to her, telling her to hang on, screaming with every bit of his soul that he loved her. Hadn't she?_

_Akane sighed and pondered what to do now. The wedding was destroyed and there wouldn't be another one until the fiancée mess was taken care of, or so her father claimed. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if they tried again next week, especially if Ranma and her started to get along. The raven haired girl was well passed tired of fighting with her fiancé all the time and just wanted some peace. She hoped it would come in the form of him picking her and the two of them dealing with the other girls together._

'_How can I improve our relationship?', Akane mused to herself as she sunk a little lower in the tub in order to hide from the world just that little bit more. _

_'We're back to square one. He has three other "fiancées" he could choose, even more if he left completely and pursued someone else entirely. I can't control what he does, but perhaps I can change a few things to encourage him to pick me. Wait a minute, since when did I want him to be my fiancé/husband?' _

'_Somewhere before Jusendo Akane, but definitely since then', a different part of her mind supplied warmly as she felt her heart strings tug. _

_Akane stayed in the tub for awhile and continued to think about what she could change, what she would change and a plan started to form in her mind. A smile crossed her lips but felt she should probably get a second and a third opinion as a chocolate sundae really started to appeal to her. The youngest Tendo climbed out of the tub, dried off and wrapped the robe around herself and left the furoba. She walked down the hallway to the phone and called Yuka and Sayuri in order to invite them out for an ice cream outing the following day._

Akane knew she wasn't ready to get married. She wasn't even eighteen years old yet for crying out loud. Her fiancé had the emotional development of a five year old and he still had two fiancées that were both trying to claim him as a prize. His mouth seemed to have a mind of its own which had frequently said hurtful things to her in the past. Despite all of that though, Akane had found herself falling in love with the baka anyway. The raven haired girl looked at her destroyed dress again and felt her anger rising as her battle aura appeared around her.

'_Shampoo calls me a Kitchen Destroyer_', Akane fumed menacingly as she tightened her grip around her blackened dress, '_Maybe I should live up to that nickname and throw some exploding food in their restaurants as payback for this little stunt. See how they like it. This insult cannot go unpunished. Those two bitches have no honor throwing exploding food with innocents nearby like that. I refuse to stoop to that level but that doesn't mean I can't destroy their kitchens in retribution._'

Akane closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she slowed her breathing. She needed to be calm, detached and rational in order to make plans to enact her revenge. Now was not the time to get angry as it would only cloud her thinking. The raven haired girl opened her eyes and noticed Ranma walking towards the Koi pond. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, she made her way off the roof and snuck around the yard until she could hide nearby and listen in should he actually say anything out loud.

* * *

><p>Ranma sighed deeply as he walked over towards the Koi pond and sat down on the rock edges and dangled his feet in the cold water. He didn't even seem to notice when he changed and just sat there looking up at the stars and moon above her. The water felt really good on her toes and seemed to drain a little of the stress the red haired girl was feeling about the day's events.<p>

Akane watched and noted in amusement that her fiancé really didn't seem to care what form he was in anymore. Months ago he never would have voluntarily become a girl just by dipping a toe. Ranma seemed to have accepted his curse and make it a part of himself. Maybe he didn't even view it as a curse anymore, after all he was unique. How many people could experience both sides of the coin of life like Ranma could. The raven haired girl was pretty sure she never wanted to be a boy but part of her wondered what it would be like to experience the other side, if but for a moment. Akane shook her head slightly to drive away those thoughts and concentrated on listening to her fiancé again should he say anything.

Ranma stared down into the Koi pond and saw the full moon behind her reflection and thought, '_Akane was so incredibly beautiful in her wedding dress this afternoon. I was actually able to tell her that without stumbling over my words too badly. Why then, when she asked me one of the most important question of them all, whether or not I loved her, did I freeze up and deny it? She was willing to expose her own vulnerability just for some honesty from me and I let her down. I let us down. It doesn't matter that everyone else ruined everything and we wouldn't have actually been able to get married today, I hurt her. I hurt her more than I ever had before and I need to make it up to her somehow._'

"All I ever do is hurt her…", Ranma mused aloud, pain evident in her voice and she hoped no one had actually heard her as she continued to stare into the Koi pond and sighed heavily.

Akane gasped silently and put a hand over her mouth. The raven haired girl didn't know what context Ranma had meant but she recognized the self loathing in her voice that spoke of pain and torment. The youngest Tendo thought back to her own actions over the course of their "courtship" and drew a similar conclusion. Akane sighed softly and thought, '_All I ever do is hurt him. If I'm not calling him a pervert or bashing him over the head with a table, I'm pushing him away in some other way. How do I make it up to him? How do we get passed all of the fighting and insults and actually fall in love with one another?_'

Ranma frowned as another thought appeared from her subconscious, '_You need to treat her like a real friend Ranma and not an unwanted fiancée. Ever since that first day you have done almost nothing but mercilessly pick on her with your insults. You can't seem to think of her as a martial artist but rather a burden and yet you won't help her improve. What kind of future Sensei are you? What kind of friend are you? What kind of man are you?_'

"I don't mean anything by them. Why can't she see that?", Ranma said as she shook her head wondering where these other thoughts were coming from and when they would stop bothering her.

A different part of her, probably her heart, spoke this time and said, '_How is she supposed to know that? She can't read your mind you know. All she can rely on is what you say and do, and all you do is say mean things to her and dismiss her as though she is nothing. It's amazing she doesn't hate you after all the hate you seem to pile on her…_'

'_Why can't I see what?_', Akane thought to herself as she strained to hear Ranma talk to herself. She knew she shouldn't be listening in, but the raven haired girl was far too curious to learn about her fiancé not to. Perhaps it would provide her with some valuable insight and she could figure out how to break through his outer shell. Akane puzzled over Ranma's last statement as she thought, '_I don't mean anything by them… Ah, the Saotome foot and mouth disease. He doesn't actually mean to insult me all the time? Well baka you did, but perhaps you'll change your ways and I can react positively to that soon without it being obvious that I am listening in right now._'

"I don't hate her…", Ranma said as she looked away from the Koi pond and her reflection briefly enough to see the crystal clear night sky above her. There seemed to be a million stars out that night, each one pronouncing judgment on the lonely red haired girl.

'_Oh really? Prove it. Start treating her like an equal…_', her heart interrupted as it gave her an unpleasant thump in her chest.

'_Hmm, he doesn't hate me. Well that's good I suppose. I mean he screamed that he loved me a week ago in China so of course he doesn't hate me. Does he love me though despite his denial this afternoon?_', Akane thought to herself not really sure what to make of her fiancé's rollercoaster of emotions.

"But she isn't an equal…", Ranma said defiantly and immediately winced as she looked around hoping especially that her fiancée wasn't listening.

Akane growled softly upon hearing that and nearly gave herself away. She noticed the wince though and realized that Ranma was warring with herself as different aspects of her mind were presenting her with various viewpoints. The youngest Tendo thought bitterly to herself, '_Baka, I am too your equal, unless you mean in martial arts terms then you're right since you refuse to train me._'

'_And whose fault is that?_', the red haired girl's heart once again interrupted, this time more forcefully and Ranma felt her chest cave in and knock the wind out of her briefly. She slowed her breathing to will her body to control itself but it seemed to be acting out on its own.

"Mine. It's all my fault, everything that is wrong is all my fault.", Ranma replied louder, filled with self loathing and sadness as her eyes shimmered and tears pooled in her stormy blue eyes.

Akane gasped in surprise and looked down at the surface of the Koi pond at the defeated tone of Ranma's voice. The raven haired girl sighed heavily as she thought bitterly, '_Everything isn't your fault Ranma. A lot of it is my fault too. We both have these walls up that we refuse to let the other one through. Since we were fighting the engagement as well as each other all the time, it just got to be a matter of protection in order to keep the other one out of our hearts. Maybe we'll show each other how we really feel soon, assuming it doesn't encourage those idiots to spring another wedding on us._'

Ranma looked back at the Koi pond again and sighed. It was all her fault. She was the one that brought all of the chaos with her into Akane's life. She was the one that refused to treat her as anything but a nuisance and a second-rate martial artist. She was the one that couldn't seem to control her mouth and said absolutely horrendous things to tomboy, and she expected the raven haired girl to like her? That was the cosmic joke wasn't it. Ranma deserved all of the Karma she had coming to her if she couldn't even be nice to the one person that actually mattered to her other than her mother. The Saotome heiress lowered her head in shame and while she tried in vain not to cry her body decided otherwise and tears streamed down her face. They fell into the Koi pond and created a multiple ripples that Ranma watched spread out in the surface of the water in contemplative silence.

Akane's tears shimmered in her eyes and tracked down her cheeks as she noticed Ranma's tears splashing into the Koi pond. The tiny droplets of water created a dazzling ripple design in the normally placid water. She looked up at the moon for a moment and silently prayed that the two of them would let go of their pride and come together soon. The raven haired girl hoped that they could get over the hurt and pain of the past and start over with a clean slate. Perhaps they could do things a lot better and get along easier. A shooting star passed overhead then and Akane gasped softly, wondering if she would indeed get her wish as she clasped her hands over her heart.

"What is all your fault Ranma?", Nodoka asked gently as she knelt down and embraced her daughter who was apparently crying and engaged in a conversation with her own reflection.

"Everything…", Ranma replied softly as she watched the last of the ripples fade away into nothingness. A nothingness she felt in her heart in light of just how mean she had been to her best friend. Best friend… Was Akane really her best friend in light of all of their fights?

"Oh I seriously doubt that", Nodoka admonished gently but then asked, "Is there something in particular you feel that is all your fault?"

"I've treated Akane horribly and while she hasn't been a saint, I doubt she would have been mad at me as often as she was if I wasn't calling her names all the time. She would be a better martial artist and more confident in her own abilities if I had actually treated her like an equal and helped her out. I have failed her Mom. Maybe I should just leave her alone from now on and release her from any obligation to her freakish shape-changing fiancé", Ranma replied as another set of tears escaped the confines of her stormy blue eyes and fell into the Koi pond. Both Saotomes and Akane watched the ripples dissipate in a moment in silence.

'_No Ranma, please don't leave me!_', Akane thought desperately as a torrent of tears rolled down her puffy cheeks and splattered on her sundress, '_You've realized what you've done wrong as have I. Please stay and we can fix this, I know we can. All we have to do is cut back the insults and you can start training me now. I love you baka, please, this doesn't have to be good-bye!_'

"Now now Ranma, I don't want to hear you talk like this you hear me? Yes you have a curse that gives you an interesting perspective on life but that doesn't make you a freak", Nodoka scolded as she gently hugged her child. "You are my son and my daughter and I love you in either form."

Nodoka looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered something and smiled as she said gently, "Ranma, instead of leaving her why don't you help her? You say you call her names all of the time and yes, I have heard you, so why don't stop that and treat her nicer? Treat her how you would like to be treated. Compliment her occasionally and stop the name calling, you're a little old to be so childish anyway. You say you should have helped her out all this time, well you can't change the past but you can start helping her now after all it isn't too late. If you two were going to join the schools of Anything Goes, wouldn't you need to teach her the Saotome style and wouldn't she need to teach you the Tendo style? Why haven't you two been doing that all along?"

Ranma opened her mouth in order to say something but then stopped. Why indeed? The pigtailed martial artist mused, '_If only I could go back, I'd train her from the start and not insult her so much. Things would probably have been a lot better for us. As much as I loved the attention from the other girls, I should have dealt with them right away as stringing them along has only hurt everyone._'

'_Yes, listen to your mother Ranma_', Akane thought hopefully as she wiped away a few of the tears that had collected in her warm brown eyes. The raven haired girl was really glad she had decided to stay and listen in. Even though she felt a little guilty and would probably resent Ranma doing the same to her, she needed to know what was going on in that head of his. He had gone from sobbing wreck and yelling out his love to his old self and it confused her. She desperately wanted to know how he really felt and this conversation with his mother would be a great way to discover some truth.

Nodoka noticed the silence and smiled, pleased that her daughter was thinking about what she had said, or at least thinking about something and asked, "Do you think you two would have gotten along better if it wasn't for the forced engagement?"

"I don't know honestly", Ranma said as she shrugged her shoulders. "I've often wondered what the real cause of our problems were. Were we fighting one another because of the engagement or would we have fought with each other anyway? Would my mouth have ruined everything without an engagement hanging over our heads? Mom, do you think you could cancel all of the engagements until after senior year? That would give us a year to sort things out without as much pressure", Ranma asked, hope in her voice for the first time in a while.

'_Yes_', Akane thought, '_I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have fought so much if it weren't for that. After all, if we had gotten along our fathers would have forced us to get married even sooner than they already tried earlier. Ranma, you want to cancel our engagement too?_' The raven haired girl wiped another tear away and looked thoughtful as she mused about becoming friends with Ranma without an engagement entanglement. If the two of them didn't have to worry about any fiancées for a year, they could grow as friends and be that much stronger as a couple down the road. The idea definitely had some merit.

Nodoka sighed and shook her head, "From what you have told me about these Amazons I seriously doubt they would listen to me. Ukyo and Kodachi might be reasonable but if we couldn't get them all to agree, then none of them would, nor should. I know your father and Soun would rather not see your engagement to Akane be delayed a year and I'm quite sure they would do something stupid."

"Pops and stupid go hand in hand", Ranma quipped with a smile.

Akane clamped her hand over her mouth and fought with every fiber of her being in order to prevent herself from exploding in laughter. Her giggling caused her body to vibrate but she knew she couldn't afford to give herself away now, not when things were really getting interesting. The youngest Tendo definitely agreed with Ranma's appraisal of her father's mental capacities though.

Nodoka frowned and said, "Ranma, I know your father is an idiot sometimes", this received a sarcastic snort from the two girls listening, "but he is your father. I want you to show him proper respect young lady."

"Yes Mother", Ranma replied dutifully and thought, '_Pops doesn't deserve respect for all the crap he's pulled, but I will for you mother._'

'_Genma doesn't deserve any respect from his son, Auntie_', Akane thought heatedly as she clenched her fists remembering a lot of the stunts the overweight, lazy oaf had pulled on Ranma over the years.

"Still", Nodoka said thoughtfully while she tapped her chin with her forefinger, "that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. We could hold the meeting here, or at some neutral location and hope that everyone would get along well enough so that something was accomplished."

"Good luck getting Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi and Akane in a room together without them trying to kill one another and me", Ranma replied with a frown on her face as she briefly shuddered. The red haired girl pulled her feet out of the pond deciding that was the reason she shivered and not the thought of the four girls trying to kill each other. Ranma knew it was a lie though. She also figured Akane would just sit back and let the other three duke it out, after all she wasn't interested in him anyway.

'_Hey!_', Akane mentally shouted heatedly, '_I'm not going to attack them over you unless they attack me first. Haven't you noticed Ranma that I am the only one that doesn't chase you and am giving you a chance to make up your own mind?_'

"Why would they attack you if you are what they are after?", Nodoka asked confusion clearly written all over her face.

"I'll get caught in the crossfire like usual", Ranma replied sheepishly as she shrugged her shoulders. The red haired girl continued bitterly, "I'm nothing but a prize to be won by those three and I'm sick of it. One way or another I am going to end these engagements once and for all and find some manner of peace in my life."

'_Thank you Kami-sama_', Akane thought to herself as she clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled. It seemed as though Ranma was finally going to declare war on the status quo, something that should have been done ages ago in her opinion but better late than never. The raven haired girl wondered if her own engagement was going to be fought against as well though and bit her lip nervously as she waited for her fiancé to speak again.

"Are you including Akane in that declaration?", Nodoka asked, mirroring the youngest Tendo's concerns even though she had no idea the raven haired girl was present and listening intently to their conversation.

"Akane isn't insane like Shampoo, Kodachi and to a lesser extent Ukyo are and she doesn't chase me. I don't think she views me as a prize to be won either so no, I am not including her in that declaration of war", Ranma replied as her eyes sparked with an internal fire the copper haired woman hadn't seen all evening. Up until now her son turned daughter had been mostly morose, dwelling on mistakes in the past and being unhappy. Now, she appeared to be deciding to take control of the situation and dealing with it, once and for all somehow.

'_You are a prize Ranma, but I cannot win you like those other three idiots are trying to do nor would I want to_', Akane mused to herself thoughtfully and continued, '_I've seen how you react when being chased and it's not very favorable. I was going to get married to you this afternoon. If that doesn't scream that I am interested in being with you I don't know what will. Perhaps you believe that it was all our fathers' doing and that I didn't want to do it at all. I can't blame you for thinking that given their history as well as ours._'

"I need to talk to her Mom. I mean _really _talk to her", Ranma said with conviction in her voice and her body began to glow a whitish color with a slight reddish hue to it. Her aura faded almost as quickly as it appeared while Nodoka nodded her head in understanding.

The raven haired girl's mouth widened into a sunny smile as she thought, '_When Ranma? When do you think we can have an honest conversation where we bare our hearts and souls to one another and finally lay our fears to rest? I want to be a real couple after nearly dying in Jusendo. I'm tired of this stalemate and life is too short for us to waste it anymore on what-ifs and might have beens._'

"Why haven't you talked with her today?", Nodoka asked, puzzled. If it was so important for her son to talk to his fiancée, shouldn't he have done that already?

"I did and I blew it earlier. I was ambushed by Pops and Mr. Tendo and when I woke up I was in a tuxedo. I sort of barged into Akane's room and demanded to know what was going on. Kami-sama she looked so beautiful in her wedding dress", Ranma replied as she looked down at the Koi pond again.

Akane blushed heavily at the praise her fiancé was saying about her and she felt tears of happiness roll down her cheeks as she clasped her hands over her heart again. How she had longed to hear Ranma tell her she was pretty, cute, beautiful or something along those lines instead of uncute, unsexy and a myriad number of other hurtful things he had in the past. Akane thought for a moment and a smile spread across her face as she thought dreamily, '_I want you to choose me because you love me Ranma. I need you to want me as well. I don't want you to feel like you have to marry me out of duty, honor, or worse, just settling for your uncute tomboy._'

The youngest Tendo paused in her musings for a moment as her smile widened and she thought, '_Your tomboy…_', delighted with how that possessive adjective sounded to her within her mind. Akane continued and mused, '_If you'll have me Ranma, I am your tomboy just as you are my baka. I will have to show you that I want you though because I think you still doubt that. I still have doubts that you want me. Will you please be my boy/girlfriend?_'

"How did you blow it dear?", Nodoka asked even though she was pretty sure she already knew what he was going to say.

"She asked me if I loved her Mom", Ranma said shakily and looked away. The red haired girl really didn't want to admit the next part. She wanted to tell Akane alone the true feelings she felt instead of what her mouth had said that afternoon. Oh well, her mouth had already betrayed her by admitting that she had messed up earlier and there was nothing left to do but plow recklessly ahead.

"And…?", Nodoka asked slyly and gave her current daughter a knowing look.

Ranma looked away from her mother and shuddered briefly as a cold chill swept through her. The red haired girl then turned to look directly at Akane's hiding spot with fear in her eyes. The red haired girl knew from the beginning that her fiancée was spying on her mother-daughter conversation but saw no reason to call Akane out on her eavesdropping until now. Ranma knew she had a problem with the Saotome foot and mouth disease and thought she could say some things to her fiancée without actually having to say them to her and risk mixing up her words. There were just some things she didn't want to tell the raven haired girl this early or like this though which most certainly including a declaration of love. Ranma knew she had to talk to Akane alone soon if she wanted any chance to be with the girl she loved. The red haired girl was still annoyed with herself that she froze up and denied her feelings that afternoon but now was not the time to truly confess. They would be words for her love alone.

"Um…", Ranma said as she squirmed in her seated position and looked away from Akane's hiding place. She refused to look at her mother as well and fell silent.

"It's alright Ranma", Nodoka said gently as she wrapped her arms around her temporary daughter. "You don't have to say anything to me out loud. I know that you need to talk to Akane first, after all, some things really ought to be said between a couple before the mother gets involved."

Akane frowned at the notion that her fiancé wouldn't diverge any more information regarding her but then she caught sight of Ranma's gaze that seemed to pierce her hiding place. Had the red haired girl sensed her after all? How long had Ranma known she was hiding there? Akane started to panic wondering how mad her fiancé was for the intrusion while another part of her wondered if the red haired girl had been apparently oblivious on purpose. Maybe it was a way she could say some things that she might have been unable to say face to face without stumbling or putting her foot in her mouth.

"Well Ranma, this has been quite an enlightening conversation", Nodoka said as she struggled to rise to her feet, "but it's time for these old bones to get back indoors and out of the evening chill. I am going to get some tea and warm up and then I think I shall retire for the evening. I would like to talk to you about your other fiancée's but we can do that tomorrow. Good night daughter, and good luck."

"Good night Mother. Thank you for speaking with me this evening even if you did insist on it first", Ranma replied with an impish grin on her delicate face. The red haired girl stood up on shaky legs and walked into the house to get herself some tea as well.

* * *

><p>The raven haired girl sighed as she allowed herself to finally relax and watched as the two Saotome women walked back into the house. There was absolutely no doubt in the youngest Tendo's mind that Ranma knew she was there even though she had only looked in her direction a couple of times. It was possible Ranma hadn't sensed her but she doubted that. With the exception of Dr. Tofu or Cologne, no one snuck up on Ranma unless she was incredibly preoccupied.<p>

Akane giggled softly as she watched Ranma trying in vain to walk gracefully but failing miserably due to the coldness in her legs. She looked more like a poorly made robot hobbling along. Akane's mirth quickly fled when she realized she would look the same way as she stood up on shaky knees and wobbly legs. She rubbed her legs in an effort to restore the feeling in them and suddenly they felt like a thousand needles were pricking her as sensation returned fairly quickly.

The youngest Tendo walked around the garden for a few minutes in order to restore all of the feeling to her legs. Akane then made her way back onto the roof and picked up her destroyed wedding dress. She sighed heavily and looked at it sadly. The raven haired girl thought back to the conversation she had overheard and realized she hadn't actually learned that much. She still didn't know how Ranma felt about her since his declaration of love in Jusendo coupled with the reversal in the form of a denial that afternoon. Akane knew that he didn't want any of the other girls but that still didn't mean he wanted her.

'_I wonder if my idea earlier will work_', Akane thought to herself worriedly as she paced back and forth on the roof over her bedroom. She knew Ranma didn't like to be touched particularly but maybe that was only from girls he didn't like throwing themselves at him. So long as she didn't go overboard with her friendly advances and light touches maybe things would work out alright. The problem was this put most of the power in Ranma's hands and the raven haired girl really didn't want to do that. Still though, they could theoretically be locked in a stalemate if both of them waited for some sort of move by the other.

'_Do I want to let him make the first move, or should I?_', Akane mused as she climbed through her window and sat on her bed for a few moments. The youngest Tendo walked over towards her calendar and frowned when she noticed that Valentine's day was only two weeks away. If they were ever going to have a romantic date, that would be the perfect day to do so. It turned out that the special day fell on a Saturday that year which made it even more perfect for date night. It would be one more thing to talk to Yuka and Sayuri about the following day during their ice cream social.

Akane's stomach growled at her as she thought about food. She looked around her room and spotted a tray of food that someone had dropped off at some point. The raven haired girl figured it had been Kasumi while the youngest Tendo had been outside on the roof before she had eavesdropped on her fiancé. Akane sighed and wondered, '_Why didn't she just leave it in the refrigerator? It's stone cold now, but thank you for the thought anyway Kasumi._'

The raven haired girl looked at the meal which consisted of fish, soup and rice and frowned. Akane didn't want to eat it cold but did she really want to run into Ranma? She didn't feel like she was ready to face him, especially if he was upset with her about the little reconnaissance mission earlier. Akane knew how little privacy the pigtailed martial artist really had and she broke that trust because she was too damned curious.

'_Maybe it would be better if I avoided him tonight and tried to talk to him tomorrow_', Akane thought before another part of her, her conscious no doubt, said scathingly, '_Coward. You should face him tonight and clear the air between the two of you. If nothing else you owe him a real apology for trespassing on his private mother-son talk._'

"Bweee?"

Akane screeched in fright as the sound startled her. Her hand flew to her chest over her heart as she jumped in her chair. The raven haired girl looked around after a few moments of breathing deeply in order to still her heart and noticed P-chan on the floor near her bed.

"P-chan!", Akane exclaimed happily as she climbed out of her chair and scooped up the little black pig into her arms. She hugged the animal between her breasts and Ryoga was in piggy heaven as his head rested in between her soft pillows. The youngest Tendo asked in a sing song voice, "Where have you been you naughty boy?"

"Bweee Bweee Bweee", P-chan said as Ryoga thought, '_Well, I thought I was heading back to Akari's but perhaps I am meant to be here one last time. You were prepared to marry Ranma this afternoon, I guess you really do love him. He doesn't deserve you though. You deserve someone kind and honorable, like me._'

"Are you hungry P-chan?", Akane asked as she walked back over towards her desk and picked up the tray of food Ranma had left there an hour or so beforehand. P-chan nodded his head as the youngest Tendo said, "It's stone cold right now, how about we go down to the kitchen and warm it up?"

* * *

><p>The raven haired girl took her meal downstairs in order to warm it up in the microwave and wondered what she would say to Ranma when she ran into him. A minute later she poked her head into the kitchen and saw the one person she didn't want to face sitting at the table slowly drinking some tea. The black haired boy seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at his tea cup with a blank expression on his face.<p>

"Hello Akane", Ranma said emotionlessly when he noticed the raven haired girl poke her head through the doorway. The pigtailed martial artist narrowed his eyes when he sensed an all too familiar presence accompanying his fiancée though. Ranma sighed in exasperation and thought, '_Figures Ryoga would show up and ruin things. Why can't he get lost in Antarctica and stay there? How am I going to talk to Akane about things with the porker overhearing everything?_'

"Um, hello Ranma", Akane replied nervously as she walked all the way into the kitchen holding P-chan against her chest. There was no avoiding her fiancé now, not without making things even more awkward between them. Her conscious was already telling her what she should do, running wouldn't solve anything and actually would probably make things worse. Akane proceeded to heat up her dinner and wondered why Ranma's voice sounded so empty. The black haired boy seemed to be a shadow of his normal self and it was certainly a much different reaction than the raven haired girl was expecting.

Ranma growled seeing Ryoga cozying up to his fiancée and scowled as he closed his eyes for a moment in order to re-center himself. He couldn't let the pig get to him though, after all Ryoga knew how much the whole pig act bothered him. Even if Ryoga didn't enjoy rubbing up against Akane for its own sake he would continue to do so because it annoyed Ranma to no end.

"Are you alright Ranma?", Akane asked in concern as she prepared some tea while waiting for the microwave to tell her dinner was ready.

"I guess…", Ranma said slowly and looked down at his tea cup as if he was trying to divine some vision out of the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup while attempting to control his anger. He needed to get P-chan away from his fiancée somehow once and for all. The pigtailed boy really didn't know what to say to his fiancée at the moment anyway. He had noticed Akane had kind of avoided her all evening and was fine with that. The two of them had a lot to talk about but it seemed as though they needed to think things through first. The talk he had had with his mother earlier, even though Akane had listened in, had been quite helpful in organizing his thoughts. It also allowed him a chance to say some things that he felt Akane should know without tripping over his own words. Ranma was actually happy that his fiancée had listened in as it had made things easier somehow. Ranma had no such shield now as the person he needed to talk to was standing right in front of him.

"What's wrong Ranma?", Akane asked gently as the microwave signaled that her dinner was finished being reheated. She took the food out and sat at the kitchen table next to her fiancé and tried to look into her fiancé's eyes. Akane found that Ranma's normally beautiful blue eyes were cast down and stormy looking as though he was confused or something.

"Nothing…", Ranma said irritably as he stood up to leave and started to walk out of the kitchen quickly.

"Ranma!", Akane called out suddenly. Despite his better judgment Ranma found himself stopping in the entry way to the kitchen and looked back at the raven haired girl holding a pig in her lap. He scowled even deeper and glared at the four legged slab of bacon.

"Ranma", Akane said softly as she turned to face her fiancé and asked in a small voice, "Can we talk, please?"

"I'm going to go take a walk. I'll talk to you later if you want Akane, _without_ the pig", Ranma said in a voice as cold as ice. Without hesitating any more, he stormed out of the kitchen and headed outside stomping the entire way. He felt his anger get a hold of him as he fumed, '_Damn you Ryoga. I'm going to expose you once and for all. You've twisted our martial artist code of honor for the last time. Akane is my fiancée, not yours and you call yourself honorable. You claim I don't deserve Akane and think that you do? Pfft!_'

Akane just sat that at the kitchen table stunned at her fiancé's cold demeanor. She knew Ranma didn't particularly like the pig but it was so unlike him to just get up and leave because of the animal. Even worse, the pigtailed martial artist seemed quite adamant about not talking to her if P-chan was anywhere near by. Why did Ranma hate her pet pig so much? Was he mad at P-chan? Maybe Ranma was mad at her for spying earlier which she still hadn't apologized for. Maybe something else was bothering him?

The youngest Tendo knew she needed to talk to Ranma even more now. She had to clear the air and figure out what was bothering her fiancé so much. How were they ever going to have a real talk like Ranma had said they needed to have if they couldn't say but a few words to one another? How would they ever become the couple the raven haired girl so desperately wanted to be? Did Ranma want to be a couple? Akane had gotten the impression that he did based on the tail end of the conversation the black haired boy had had with his mother by the Koi pond. Since it was obvious P-chan was a source of friction between them, Akane knew she would have to stash the pig somewhere while she and Ranma talked.

* * *

><p>Ranma growled to himself and clenched his fists as he stalked towards the park trying to get his anger under control. He needed to do something in order to vent his frustration and was spoiling for a fight. While the pigtailed martial artist really wanted to pound on Ryoga, the pig wasn't exactly going to be accommodating to his needs for a punching bag at the moment. Ranma figured he could find some criminals to pound on. He would get to vent out his frustrations and help out the community at the same time.<p>

The pigtailed martial artist sat on a bench for a few moments when a thought occurred to him. He could double his chances finding some decent target practice if he was a girl. The people he wanted to pound on would be much more likely to attack a 150cm busty red-head than some guy that looked like a fighter. What better way to get into a fight than to find some seedy guys trying to molest a damsel is distress? Ranma thought about his current look and attire and shook his head. Even as a girl his Chinese shirt and baggy pants, along with his pigtail screamed 'tomboy' or 'fighter', not 'easy prey' that would get him the fight he wanted.

Ranma walked over to the fountain and splashed himself with the colder water, instantly transforming into his other half. In the park, the red haired girl knew there wasn't a whole lot she could do to make her look less tomboyish except for removing her pigtail perhaps. Ranma undid her braid and allowed her hair to flow over her back and front and smiled. It looked like fire which worked perfectly for her mood at the moment. Ranma took to the skies as she roof hopped across town towards a less reputable neighborhood grinning in anticipation of just beating the living crap out of someone. The red haired girl seriously doubted she would find anyone a worthy challenge but criminals were always halfway decent target practice and helped the community. Who knows, maybe she'd find some non-perverted rich guy that would reward her for rescuing him.

About fifteen minutes later Ranma heard a woman scream from somewhere very near by. A nasty sneer appeared on the red-head's lips as she jumped down to the alleyway below her and took in the situation. Ranma saw a young woman in front of her being held at knife point by a thug with a green Mohawk. Behind the woman were four other thugs, two of them holding the woman's arms painfully behind her. Ranma sensed there were three others approaching from behind.

"Help me please", the woman screamed. The woman in question looked to be about Nodoka's height and was wearing a dark maroon cocktail dress, black heels and had a coppery color mane of hair flowing behind her. Ranma's mind superimposed her own mother's imagine over the young girl in front of her and the red haired girl's aura exploded out of her as her inner rage took over.

Ranma lashed out with a Ki-blast that smashed into the knife wielding green haired freak and sent him flying into the far wall. The three thugs behind her charged forward which Ranma quickly dispatched with a vicious sweeping roundhouse kick that took all three of them out in one pass. She leapt backwards and grabbed two of the thugs and smashed their heads together like coconuts and then paused for a second. The two thugs holding the woman released her and slowly backed away thinking they might be shown some mercy for releasing their hostage. They were wrong. Ranma leapt at them and performed a split kick, sending both thugs through the walls bordering the alleyway. Mercifully for them, they were knocked unconscious before they went through the wall.

The Saotome heiress stood there panting for a few moments while she got her emotions under control. The woman she saved wasn't Nodoka Saotome, her mother, but rather an innocent victim. Ranma calmed herself down and slowly turned towards the coppery haired woman and asked, "Are you alright miss?"

The young woman, who had been clearly frightened facing down seven attackers just stared in awe at the petite buxom girl that had just wiped the floor with them in a few seconds. It took her a few moments to regain control of her faculties and she nodded slowly. When she tried to speak, nothing came out but a squeak.

"Do you have some place safe you can go? A friend's place or family?", Ranma asked gently as she walked up to the woman trying to calm her down.

"My husband's family lives nearby. My name is Sakura Ishkarashi. May I have your name miss? You did rescue me after all and I would like to repay your kindness", Sakura said as tears flowed down her cheeks from her blue green eyes. The young woman hugged herself and shivered while she looked around at the fallen bodies of the thugs that had accosted her.

"My name is Ranma Saotome. No repayment is necessary Sakura, I am glad I was able to help", Ranma said as she accepted the hand that Sakura offered her and shook it. The red haired martial artist looked at her 'damsel in distress' a little closer and noticed she didn't particularly look Japanese and she pondered briefly where Sakura might be from, considering her name.

"Please Ranma, I insist", Sakura said as she grabbed the smaller girl's hand again dragged Ranma down the street. The red haired girl stumbled for a moment and then walked side by side with her new companion. The youngest Saotome released the woman's hand only to have the frightened woman wrap her arm around Ranma's back as if she was holding on for dear life. The woman was probably still in shock and wanted a lifeline. A few minutes later the two young women walked up to a modest house in a slightly better neighborhood than where Sakura had been attacked.

Sakura rang the doorbell and sighed, "I hope they are still awake…"

Just then the door flew open and a man in his forties with tears in his eyes rushed forward and embraced the young coppery haired woman and said, "Oh Sakura, thank Kami-sama you are safe. Who is your new friend here?"

"This is Ranma Saotome", Sakura said as the man's eyes bulged out in surprise and recognition of the name, "She fought off a gang of thugs and rescued me on my way home. I owe my life to her martial arts skills as she defeated all seven of them in no time flat."

"Please", the older man said, "Do come in Ranma-sama, we are forever in your debt for returning our daughter-in-law to us. My name is Hikaru Hitoshi and this is my humble home. My wife Kasumi is in the kitchen and she will prepare anything you want if you are hungry." Ranma started at the name and then smiled slightly when she heard where their Kasumi was.

"I am not hungry Mr. Hitoshi but I thank you. As for rescuing your daughter-in-law, it's a martial artist's duty to help those that are in need of it, plus I enjoy beating up criminals", Ranma said as she idly cracked her knuckles for emphasis.

Kasumi Hitoshi walked out of the kitchen and smiled at their guest and said, "It's nice to meet a fellow martial artist though I seriously doubt I am anywhere near your level."

Hikaru, Kasumi, Sakura and Ranma all sat down around the dining room table and socialized for quite awhile before Ranma said that she had to be going. They offered her their place to stay for the evening but the red haired martial artist politely declined, saying she needed to get back home before her family worried about her. The Hitoshis and the Ishkarashi woman nodded in understanding and wished Ranma a good evening with hopes that they would see her again.

Ranma walked outside the home after saying good-bye but before she could go too much further a pair of arms snaked around her abdomen and she heard a soft voice purr, "Thank you again for saving me Ranma."

The red haired girl froze, unsure of what to do. Ranma felt a pair of lips on her neck and she turned around in order to protest. Sakura smiled and took the opportunity to plant a passionate kiss on her savior's lips. Ranma put her hands on Sakura's shoulders and pushed her off a little rougher than she had meant to but not rough enough for the woman to fall.

The red haired martial artist wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and asked angrily, "Sakura, why did you kiss me?"

Sakura looked at Ranma in shock and then lowered her eyes and said dejectedly, "I was thanking you for rescuing me. Do you not like me?"

"I barely know you and I already have a fiancée that I love", Ranma growled menacingly as she thought irritably, '_Damn it, just what I need, another Shampoo. I'm really sorry Akane. I had no idea she was going to try to seduce me. She said she had a husband when I rescued her._'

"Mmm, lucky girl", Sakura said as she licked her lips and turned around in order to head back into the house, "Please accept my apologies Ranma, I won't try to kiss you ever again. Will you forgive me?"

"I forgive you", Ranma said slowly as she turned around again and started walking away.

"Good night Ranma, I shall miss you tonight. I really thought we were going to spend the evening together. Shame", Sakura said sadly as she frowned in disappointment and thought, '_Ah well, I guess I'll have to find another girl to love after all. She was so strong and beautiful too. Her fiancée is a very lucky girl._'

"Good night Sakura", Ranma replied and then thought, '_…and goodbye. You're a nice woman and all, but I already have one I am in love with and you were acting a little bit too much like Shampoo there._'

When the door closed, the red haired girl breathed a sigh of relief even though she had already walked away. She took off in a random direction away from the Hitoshi household. She didn't really care where she was going but had to get away from everything that had happened recently.

Ranma seethed as she ran along the rooftops at full speed, '_I can't believe what has happened to me today. First I almost get married but the dojo gets destroyed. Then I get so angry at P-chan that I leave looking for a fight. I find a fight and the girl looks like my mother. The woman then takes me back to her family's house where she starts behaving like Shampoo and wants to sleep with me! We were both girls too so she's a lesbian but didn't she say she had a husband? Was she lying about that so that I would lower my guard? She wanted to cheat with me, someone she doesn't know. Oh Kami-sama, please don't let Akane find out about this. If any of them find out what happened tonight…_'

"As if I don't have enough to worry about already…", Ranma muttered to herself as she leapt across a particularly wide street to the building on the other side.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Akane finished her dinner and sighed as P-chan looked up at her with sad eyes. The raven haired girl ignored the look and just kept thinking about Ranma and how to progress her plan. Akane was pretty sure Ranma was interested in her based on some of the things he had said about her earlier. Maybe they would be able to talk when he came back home. Part of her figured that so long as she kept P-chan's company she would be unable to do so and that made her sad. If only Ranma would just explain why he hated the pig so much. It just seemed so irrational.<p>

Akane stood up, put her dishes away and then headed back to her room carrying P-chan with her. She dropped the pig off on her bed and sat down at her desk and pulled out some homework that someone had been kind enough to drop off while she was in China. The youngest Tendo pondered who would have been so thoughtful and mused, '_It was probably Yuka and Sayuri. Nabiki would have charged me._'

The raven haired girl sighed and thought, '_I get kidnapped, put in danger and nearly die and I still have to do homework? There should be a "life in peril" clause that exempts me from having to do mundane stuff like this during the weeks I was threatened._' Akane's face screwed up as she laughed slightly and thought, '_With all of the craziness around here, especially with Kuno at school itself, I'd never have to do homework at all if such a clause existed._'

Akane pulled out her math book and started to get to work on it. The youngest Tendo found concentrating on it to be rather difficult though. Her mind kept running in circles with things she wanted to talk to Ranma about and to clear the air between them. He wasn't around as far as she knew at the moment and he had been too angry for them to have a constructive conversation anyway. Akane sighed and told herself, '_He's just going for a walk to clear his head. He'll be back in awhile and we can try to talk then. In the meantime, let's not waste this time and get some of this really boring homework out of the way._'

P-chan looked over at his love interest and mentally sighed as he thought, '_There she goes staring off into space again, no doubt thinking about him. That honorless bastard that ran off to do who knows what with those other girls. He really doesn't deserve her._' An idea started to form in his little piggy mind that would be perfect for his ultimate revenge. He wouldn't kill Ranma, not that he could anyway, but his idea might be the next best thing. Ryoga started to laugh evilly within the confines of his mind as he continued to think about how to best go about carrying out his plan.

A couple of hours later, Akane woke up with her head on her desk and her math homework under face slightly wet. She lifted her head and wiped a little drool away from her mouth and yawned. Math never did hold her interest very well plus her day had been kind of long and tiring. Akane looked at her alarm clock and frowned as it said 11:45pm. Ranma had probably come home ready to talk and here she had been sleeping! The youngest Tendo left her room and walked down the hall in order to check the guest room. When she peeked inside she was surprised to see that Ranma was no where to be found. Puzzled, Akane decided to check the roof to see if he was there instead.

A few minutes later, the raven haired girl was on the roof but there was no one there either. Disappointed, the youngest Tendo sat down on the roof and stared out across the front yard which included the garden and the Koi pond and thought sadly, '_Where are you Ranma? I'm here for our talk, but where are you?_'

It occurred to the raven haired girl that they had never agreed to a specific time to meet, it was just "later". Still, Akane felt that Ranma should have been back home by then and started to grow a little concerned that he would be out after midnight. Half an hour later and cold, Akane decided to go back to her room. She could just talk to Ranma the next day since the jerk had decided to stay out all night without so much of a phone call to let people know he was alright. Akane turned out her light and crawled into bed and closed her eyes. She sighed heavily and thought, '_Please Kami-sama, look after Ranma and let him come home safely._'

* * *

><p>After wandering around Nerima for a little while and beating up a few more criminals, Ranma decided she had had enough action for the day and went to the nearby park. She sat on the edge of the fountain not concerned in the least about getting splashed and let her thoughts wander over the events of the day and what her feelings were about a certain raven haired tomboy she lived with. Ranma figured it was getting close to midnight and figured it would be late enough to have a private talk with her fiancée, assuming of course Akane was still awake. If not, the red haired girl figured they could talk the following evening without too much difficulty. Ranma stood up and headed back towards the Tendo household in a leisurely pace as she wasn't really in a hurry to get back despite how tired she felt. She landed on the porch effortlessly and walked into the house in order to fix herself some calming herbal tea.<p>

Ranma walked into the kitchen and splashed her face with some cold water in an effort to clear some of the blurriness that had taken hold of her. The red haired girl looked at the clock and sighed, it was just after midnight. Ranma put a kettle on and looked through Kasumi's assorted collection of teas for something that would be good for headaches and sleeplessness. The red haired girl began humming to herself some tune she recalled hearing on the radio before the whole Jusendo disaster when Nerima Wrecking Crew curse victims, Shampoo, Moouse, Ryoga, Genma and herself had gone to China to recover the map. Akane had been kidnapped around that time too and so the mission had become even more important to her.

Ranma picked out a suitable tea for her purposes and sat down at the kitchen table while she waited for the kettle to be ready. The red haired girl was just so tired of everything going wrong all of the time in her life and just wanted to disappear for awhile. She knew there was no way she could just leave though, not after everything the Tendos had done for her. The dojo was wrecked because of her enemies and suitors and it just wouldn't be right to leave without helping to fix it up. The youngest Saotome decided she would work on restoring the dojo in the morning and hoped there were sufficient supplies. The training hall got damaged on a fairly regular basis thanks to her living at the Tendo estate.

'_I wonder if I could get my lazy good for nothing Pops to help me rebuild it. He's been mooching off the Tendos for two years too. Maybe if Kasumi refused to feed him he would help_', Ranma smirked to herself as the kettle began to whistle. The red haired girl stood up and mixed her tea and smiled softly, almost Kasumish as she stood there looking out the window. She breathed in the aroma slowly and nearly dropped it when a voice startled her.

"Ranma!", Kasumi said in surprise from the doorway.

The girl in question jumped slightly and turned around with her free hand over her heart as she said between gasps of air, "Kasumi, you startled me."

"That's usually a tough thing to do to you Ranma", Kasumi said teasingly and smiled warmly.

Ranma nodded and said, "I made some tea if you want some. What are you doing up though?"

"I would love some, thank you. I imagine I am up for the same reason you are. I can't seem to fall asleep as my mind won't quiet down thinking about everything that happened earlier", Kasumi said sadly. "You know I had such high hopes for you two despite how our fathers went about things. You're mother and I spent many hours decorating the dojo and cooking the food for the reception."

Ranma nodded slowly and looking down into her tea cup. She raised her head after a few moments and said, "I am sorry Kasumi."

Kasumi walked over and embraced her future brother/sister-in-law and said, "I don't think there was any way for you to prevent what happened Ranma, so please don't blame yourself. You were ambushed and put into a tuxedo without any say in it at all. Your other fiancées crashed the party, threw the bombs and destroyed the dojo. I think I really need to have a chat with Nabiki about the guest list, inviting all those antagonistic characters was rather foolish of her. What did she think would happen?"

"Maybe she wanted the wedding to fail on purpose. Maybe she's just too greedy and was only seeing the wedding presents although since it was Akane's and mine wedding, she wouldn't get them anyway", Ranma offered weakly. "Anyways, can we talk about something else please?"

Kasumi released the younger girl and sat back down at the kitchen table and said, "Of course. Is there anything in particular you wish to talk about?"

"I wanted to offer my assistance in repairing the dojo tomorrow and I was wondering if you could refuse to feed my father until he agrees to help. Not that I want to work side by side with the old man but with more people helping it would go quicker. I know he won't unless he is _encouraged_", Ranma said as her blue eyes danced with mirth and a small smile spread across her lips.

Kasumi tapped her chin thoughtfully and nodded as she said, "I'll talk to your mother about it tomorrow morning when she wakes up and helps me with breakfast. I think for now though I'll wish you a good night Ranma. I think I can feel this tea starting to work so I'm going to go to bed now."

"Good night Kasumi, thank you for talking with me", Ranma replied and waved to the brown haired girl as the elder Tendo waved upon exiting the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Ranma exited the house through the living room doors and leapt onto the roof and sat down in one of her favorite places to think. The red haired girl looked out across the Koi pond and into the clear night sky and sighed wondering if her fiancée would join her that evening. She laid down on the roof and watched as a shooting star flew across the clear night sky leaving a brilliant trail of space dust that glittered across the heavens.<p>

The youngest Saotome closed her eyes for a moment and said, "I wish Akane and I would get along better and that we could truly show how much we care for one another." The red haired girl thought, '_I know I am not ready to be married to her, not with the way I froze up earlier when she asked me if I loved her. Do I love her though? I know I like her a lot and all. I hope we can come together and become a couple. I'd rather not fight with her all the time like before. I've fought enough for ten lifetimes by now and I really hope I never have to face anything like Saffron ever again._

Ranma sighed as she mused, '_It is so peaceful up here at night. Why can't my life be this way more often? Instead I have two fiancées and one delusional gymnast that thinks she's a fiancée always chasing and throwing themselves at me. How do I get rid of them? I've hinted at them before that I only considered them friends right? I was getting married today, that should have been a pretty big clue that I am not interested in them that way. I doubt they'll leave me alone though so I may have to be a little more insistent._' Ranma cracked her knuckles idly.

Since it wasn't raining, nor did it look like it would in the remaining hours of the night, Ranma decided to camp out on top of the roof. She thought about her situation some more but in the end, it didn't take long for the little red head to fall asleep. Upon entering dreamland however, maybe the red haired girl would have been better off staying awake.

_A certain black haired pigtail martial artist found himself surrounded by fire on all sides. Ranma could feel the heat beginning to blister his skin and wondered how he could possibly survive the raging inferno the birdman somewhere below him was causing. He felt around the front of his chest to make sure Akane's doll was still there and to his horror he couldn't feel her. He began screaming her name hoping in vain that somehow she could respond to him in some way. The ice that was surrounding him had long since melted and the flames licked at his tiring body hungrily. He felt his skin burning and became nauseous at the smell of burnt flesh but all this didn't matter anymore. Ranma had failed to protect his one true love. He had failed her and his own life meant absolutely nothing without her. Ranma closed his eyes and waited for his inevitable death as Saffron laughed arrogantly below him in a sea of fire._

"AKANE!", Ranma snapped awake only to find herself laying on the Tendo roof as she screamed her fiancée's name in agony and torment. Her high pitched soprano voice echoed across Nerima and a few seconds later the lights from within the Tendo household as well as the neighbors' turned on. Ranma could hear the storming of feet as the household was rudely awakened by a sound they hoped never to hear again.

Inside the house, the three Tendo girls, both elder Saotomes and Soun all ran to the guest room fully expecting to see the red-headed Ranma curled up in a little ball or something but instead all they found was an empty room. They all looked at each other in confusion for a few moments until Akane suggested that Ranma was on the roof. The sound seemed to have come from outside and the roof was one of Ranma's favorite thinking places.

Akane frowned internally and headed outside as she sighed and thought, '_Well, at least he's safely home the baka! No time for that Akane, that sounded like a screamed of the damned so it's probably not some normal nightmare about cats. Jusendo… I'm on my way Ranma. I will comfort you now, but I want you to talk to me tomorrow alright?_'

The raven haired girl scurried up onto the roof and found, sure enough, a female Ranma curled up into a little ball shaking violently. The red haired girl was sobbing incoherently as tears cascaded down her cheeks from her piercing blue eyes. The youngest Tendo daughter heard her fiancé muttering something to herself and she smiled, despite the pain that her red headed friend was in currently.

"Akane, you can't leave me like this. Not before I have had a chance to tell you…", Ranma sobbed to herself, not really aware of her surroundings or the fact that the girl she was about to confess about was only a few meters away. Akane ran towards her fiancé and knelt down in order to wrap her arms around the smaller girl. The youngest Tendo felt the red-head stiffen for a few moments before relaxing slightly as Ranma felt a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her.

"It's alright Ranma", Akane soothed quietly while rubbing the smaller girl's back as Ranma relaxed slightly in fiancée's embrace. Akane continued talking in low, soothing tones and said gently, "I am here. I didn't die in Jusendo and neither did you. You defeated Saffron and saved me as well as a lot of innocent people. It's okay Ranma shhhhh."

Ranma nodded slowly and her wailing abated somewhat but she remained curled up with tears flowing out of her eyes that drenched Akane's shoulder through her pajama top. "I dreamt…", Ranma started brokenly.

"Shhhh Ranma", Akane interrupted gently, "It was just a nightmare, don't think about it anymore and relax. I'm not a doll any longer. Can you feel my arms around you and hear the sound of my voice?" Ranma nodded as Akane continued, "I am here for you and I am not going anywhere Ranma", Akane said compassionately and continued to hold her fiancé as Ranma's tears slowed from a monsoon to a calm afternoon rainstorm in intensity.

"Thank you Akane", Ranma choked out slowly in between sobs as she wrapped her arms around the raven haired girl. The red haired girl enjoyed the other her fiancée's warmth in the evening chill. They held onto one another for a few minutes in silence as Ranma began to calm down and her tears slowed and turned into sniffles. Akane continued soothing the distraught red-head and Ranma relaxed in her fiancée's arms even more.

"Are you done waking up the neighborhood now Saotome? Some of us would like to sleep you know", Nabiki said sarcastically with a hint of a menacing tone in her ice cold voice.

"Nabiki!", Kasumi chided while Nodoka glared at the middle Tendo daughter in annoyance.

"My daughter has a horrifying nightmare and all you care about is how it inconveniences your sleep a little?", Nodoka said, her own voice cold.

Nabiki gulped softly even though the Saotome Matriarch's katana was no where to be seen, for now.

"Are you two alright up there?", Nodoka asked worriedly from the Tendo's yard as she watched the two girls hug one another. It looked more like her current daughter was clinging to Akane like a life preserver in a deep dark ocean rather than a hug that spoke of love. Consider her daughter's mental state at the moment Nodoka was not all that surprised. The Saotome Matriarch examined Akane's hug and saw the warmth that was clearly visible. It was an embrace born of love and comfort in order to soothe the horrible images Ranma had been subjected to. The older woman felt her the warmth of her heart spread through her body as she clasped her hands together watching the girls hug.

Nodoka looked thoughtful as she mused, '_It doesn't matter that my son is my daughter at the moment if it doesn't matter to Akane. Once those other girls are dealt with, I don't think we'll really have to wait that long for Akane and Ranma to get married. If this display is any indication of their true feelings of concern and love for one another that is. Those other foolish girls that destroyed my house will need to be dealt with in short order somehow._'

The two girls on the roof continued to hold onto one another for awhile longer before Akane broke the embrace. The raven haired girl looked into her fiancé's stormy blue eyes as her own brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Ranma looked so frightened and her eyes shouted that she had had a troubling nightmare as if the scream of the damned wasn't clue enough. The raven haired girl gently cupped Ranma's face and dried the red-head's tears with her thumbs as she smiled at her fiancé.

The youngest Tendo was deeply concerned and asked softly, "Are you alright now Ranma?"

Ranma nodded weakly and offered her friend a small smile as she quietly replied, "I'm sorry I woke you, but yeah, I think I am okay now. Thank you for finding and comforting me. You are a great friend Akane and I'm sorry I have never really told you that before."

Akane looked down and tried to hide her faint blush as she replied softly, "You're welcome Ranma."

The youngest Tendo daughter then turned halfway between Ranma and the gathered family members down below. Akane projected her voice and said louder, "We're fine Auntie. I think Ranma had a horrible nightmare concerning Jusendo but she will be okay now."

The group down below all nodded and headed back into the house. They all knew about Ranma's nightmares by now and could only hope that he didn't suffer too many more in the future. It would wreck their sleep patterns too much if he screamed like a banshee every night. The Tendos-Saotomes shuddered as they recalled the blood curdling scream that had shattered the evening calm. Genma certainly understood since he had been there at Jusendo. The overweight martial artist knew that Ranma's nightmares regarding Saffron and Akane's death were probably only just beginning.

"Akane?", Ranma said hesitantly, bringing her fiancée's attention back to her.

"Yes?", Akane replied warmly, wondering what the red haired girl in front of her was going to say. Given the lateness of the hour, Akane hoped it wasn't an in depth conversation but she certainly wouldn't turn down a declaration of love. They still needed to have a major talk to clear the air between them though but it would be better if it wasn't at two in the morning.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for the talk you wanted to have earlier", Ranma said softly, "I just couldn't deal with P-chan at the time and I wound up staying out longer than I thought I would."

"It's okay Ranma", Akane said as she hugged her fiancé again, "I fell asleep doing homework not long after you left. Why were you so upset before?"

"Um, I'd rather not talk about that right now Akane", Ranma replied slowly before her voice turned dreamy and she continued, "Even though I am really enjoying this hug right now, it's getting late and I've kept you up long enough. We can talk tomorrow night alright?" '_Akane doesn't seem to mind hugging my girl form. I wonder if she would be okay if we kissed this way…_'

Akane felt her fiancé tighten her embrace a little and smiled to herself. She was enjoying the hug as well but wasn't quite sure she wanted to voice her opinion on the matter at the moment. The raven haired girl also wondered what it would be like to kiss Ranma's girl form but banished that thought after thinking about it for a few seconds. Before she banished it though, she felt a weird feeling stir within her and suddenly her mouth felt dry. What did this mean? Was she truly attracted to Ranma's girl form? Was it the fact that it was Ranma or was it because girl Ranma was a very sexy and beautiful red-head that she wanted to…

The raven haired girl held onto to her fiancé a few more moments before reluctantly releasing her. Akane noticed the frown that crossed Ranma's face and knew that she had enjoyed the hug as well on a level more than what her words had said. The youngest Tendo smiled at her red haired companion and stood up as she offered a hand in order to help the smaller girl stand up. Akane knew that Ranma liked her at least for the red-head never would have accepted or felt comfortable with a hug from Shampoo, Kodachi or even Ukyo.

Ranma took the youngest Tendo's hand and stood up and said, "Thank you Akane. You were such a huge help to me tonight."

"You're welcome Ranma", Akane said warmly, "We should go to bed though, the morning sun will be here too soon as it is."

The two girls climbed in through Akane's open window and much to Ranma's relief, she didn't see P-chan anywhere in Akane's room. The red-head turned around and embraced her fiancée one last time, relishing in the warmth in her heart for the other girl before breaking it off and whispering, "Good night Akane."

"Good night Ranma", Akane replied. As Ranma turned to walk out of the room, the youngest Tendo decided for her own amusement to gently slap the red-head on the ass.

Ranma turned around in shock only to find a giggling raven haired girl turning bright red trying to cover her mouth with the offending hand. The Saotome heiress started laughing too and shook her head as she left the room. The red haired girl laid down on her futon and closed her eyes to sleep, feeling a little drained from the long day as she grinned happily.

The youngest Saotome thought to herself, '_I wonder if Akane loves me. If that playful slap is any indication of her true feelings, I think she really likes me anyway. What's even better is she doesn't seem to have a problem with my girl side. In fact, if those hugs we shared earlier are any indication, she actually seems to be more comfortable with me this way._'

Akane laid in her bed and thought happily to herself, '_I love you Ranma. I hope that you tell me that you love me tomorrow night. Isn't it time we stop lying to ourselves and become a real couple? Isn't it time we admit to one another the truth?_'

'_Love will find a way, daughter…_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	2. Declaration of War

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter One

_Declaration of War _

_._

_._

Sunday morning arrived unceremoniously to find the Tendo household in quiet slumber. Akane awoke slowly and yawned as she stretched lazily in her bed. The raven haired girl blinked her eyes slowly and proceeded to change into a pair of orange running shorts and a red tank top. She knew that the cool morning air would snap her awake in short order. The youngest Tendo left the compound and decided to take a different route than she normally did since she didn't have anywhere she needed to be until early that afternoon for her ice cream social.

Akane picked up her pace and breathed in the crisp morning air as she felt the rhythm of her pounding feet tuning to the beating of her heart. She looked around the clear blue sky and felt the warmth of the sun as it crept over the horizon basking Nerima in its glow. Akane loved mornings like this, everything was so calm and peaceful just like before Ranma had come into her life and brought all of his chaos with him. Despite all of the problems and chaos the youngest Tendo daughter wouldn't trade her time for anything. For the first time in her life she was actually in love and the chaos made things interesting. Sometimes it was a bit much like the whole Jusendo adventure and being turned into a doll though.

The raven haired girl turned into a nearby park and sat on one of the swings and smiled. Akane pushed off the ground and started to swing, like she had done so many years ago when her mother was still alive. For awhile afterward, Kasumi would bring her to the park and push her on the swings as well. The youngest Tendo smiled at the pleasant memories for a few moments until the inevitable sadness crept back into her heart. It hurt Akane very badly to know that her mother, Kumiko Tendo, would never see her baby girl walk down the aisle and get married. The raven haired girl's thoughts dwelled on what she could remember of her mother and was saddened when she realized just how few memories there were. Her brown eyes shimmered and a few tear drops fell down her cheeks before she angrily wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"I miss you mother", Akane said to herself sadly as she more or less sat there on the swing instead of swinging. "Auntie Saotome is close, but no one could truly replace you. I wish I could remember more about you and that you were here with me now. I love you mother."

After sitting there for awhile Akane began swinging and started smiling again when she felt the air ruffling her hair. The raven haired girl's mind drifted back a couple of years to a time when her hair was longer and how it felt when the wind blew it around. The youngest Tendo decided she would grow her hair out again. This time she would do it for herself, not to try to impress Dr. Tofu or even Ranma. Akane remembered her fiancé saying that shorter hair suited her better but the youngest Tendo sometimes wondered if he was just trying to be nice and it wasn't a true reflection of how he felt. The raven haired girl sighed and decided she would go see Cologne about a possible hair tonic even though she didn't trust the Amazons. If anyone would have such a formula though it would be them.

"When they ask if I am doing it to be more appealing to Ranma I can simply tell them what he told me", Akane said softly to herself as she continued to swing like a little kid. "I can tell them that he thought I looked better with shorter hair. They might think I am giving up on him or at least not going to let his opinion change me and I am doing this because I want to."

Akane jumped off the swing at the peak of it's arc, flipped in the air twice and landed effortlessly so that she could continue her jog. A couple people nearby clapped at the display and Akane blushed slightly before bowing and running off. The raven haired girl resumed her jog at a more leisurely pace this time. The raven haired girl had already planned to extend her morning run so she changed course and headed for the Nekohanten, thinking Cologne might be awake this early. Akane really didn't want to deal with Shampoo but it couldn't be helped, she just hoped they would be in an amicable mood despite what they had done the previous day.

* * *

><p>A half hour later, Akane slowed to a stop outside the Nekohanten and tried the door. It was locked which didn't really surprise her so she knocked on the door and waited. A minute later the door opened and Cologne peered out surprised at having a visitor, let alone who it was.<p>

"Akane?", Cologne asked curiously, "We are not open yet as it is still fairly early."

"I know", Akane said demurely, "I'm not here for ramen. I wanted to talk to you about something real quick. I thought you might be awake and not overly busy yet."

"Indeed? Well come on in then child and tell me what's on your mind", Cologne said as she backed away from the entrance and gestured to one of the tables inside. Akane followed the older woman over to the table and sat down and placed her hands in her lap.

"Elder Cologne", Akane started as the other woman raised an eyebrow in curiosity at the formal and polite address, "I have come to ask you if you have, or if you can acquire, a hair formula that works on women. I wish to grow my hair longer but I don't really want to wait the six months doing it normally would require."

Cologne chuckled and said, "Did son-in-law put you up to this? I've noticed that out of the four of you, only you have short hair."

"Actually Elder", Akane said with a brilliant smile on her face, "this has nothing to do with Ranma. Before he arrived in Nerima I had long hair that I had been growing out for Dr. Tofu. I've long since gotten over him but I found myself missing my longer hair this morning and wished I could have it back. I want the longer hair for me, and me alone. To be perfectly honest with you, Ranma said he liked my hair better shorter. I don't know if he was actually being sincere though. He may have been trying to be diplomatic because it had recently been cut in a fight he and Ryoga were having."

"Diplomatic? Him?", Cologne asked incredulously and burst out in raspy laughter. Akane joined in a few moments later and the two women wiped a couple of tears from their eyes. "Alright Akane, I'll take a look around here and see what I can do for you but I think it would only be fair if I ask you for something in return."

"Of course Elder", Akane said in a friendly manner, "How much do you want for your efforts?"

Cologne chuckled and shook her head, "No child. I don't want money."

"I figured as much", the raven haired girl frown and said slowly, "What do you want?"

"I want you to break off your engagement to Son-in-law", Cologne replied with a toothy grin figuring there was no way the Tendo girl would do such a thing. The elder had known for quite some time that Ranma loved the tomboy and that Akane loved the pigtailed martial artist. She figured there was no way the youngest Tendo would ever agree to such terms but wanted to start high in her negotiations. If the raven haired girl was truly doing this for herself and didn't care about Ranma anymore despite the previous day, then letting him go would be easy for her.

"I-I can't do that", Akane stammered and shook her head violently and said, "No. I won't do that. Can't I offer you something else for the hair formula? Perhaps I could work as a waitress?"

Cologne sighed but then laughed as she said, "I need my dishes to remain in one piece young one."

Akane lowered her head dejectedly and sighed, "I know I can be clumsy sometimes but I can improve if given half a chance. Since the hair formula is for me and has nothing to do with Ranma, is there anything I can do that doesn't involve him to get it?"

The elder woman looked at the raven haired girl in front of her and sighed as she rubbed her chin with her hand thinking. Finally she said, "I don't know, after all he is the only reason I am still in this country and you are very close to him. Will you allow Shampoo a date with Ranma?"

"I can't control what he does. If he doesn't want to date your great granddaughter that's on him, not because of anything I've ever said", Akane replied and sighed heavily. "I think Ranma's unwillingness to do anything with Shampoo is based on how uncomfortable she makes him."

"How does she make him uncomfortable? She is a very strong Amazon warrior, beautiful as they come and shows affection easily. How could Ranma not like her unless he was gay?", Cologne said, confused how a normal male could be so turned off by the lavender haired girl who seemed to be idolized by so much of the male population.

"I don't think Ranma is gay, but you just answered your own question", Akane replied seriously. "Ranma, as you know is fairly socially inept and awkward at the best of times and even worse around girls. He gets very uncomfortable with physical contact and your great granddaughter frequently glomps him which makes him feel like he has to fight her off constantly. There is also the ruthlessness in which she pursues him. Despite him telling her he isn't interested in her that way she persists and he views her as a nuisance. There are other things working against her too in that she's cursed to turn into a cat which he is deathly afraid of thanks to his idiot father's attempt at teaching him the Neko-ken. There are the many potions and charms she's tried to seduce him with. If all of that isn't bad enough, how about the Kiss of Death? I'd say any chances of Ranma willingly picking Shampoo were pretty much ruined a long time ago."

"What about you?", Cologne asked, "Why did he pick you after all of the physical abuse you've heaped on him over the last year or so?"

"Technically he hasn't chosen anyone…", Akane said started.

"Pfft", Cologne interrupted and snorted, "Are you seriously trying to tell me that wedding yesterday meant nothing to him, or to you?"

"I don't know Elder. My father and his ambushed him and put him in a tuxedo. They blackmailed me by saying that Ranma wouldn't get the cure the Jusenkyo guide had sent as thanks unless I agreed to marry him. If it were truly up to Ranma and me, we would get married if we loved one another enough to do so, not because of family honor or bribery", Akane replied as she locked gazes with the elder Amazon.

"Interesting", Cologne said slowly as she tapped her withered chin with a finger, "So Son-in-law might not choose you, and you might not choose him.

"He'll never choose your great granddaughter Cologne", Akane said heatedly, "for reasons I have already explained!"

Cologne chuckled malevolently, "By Amazon law, he has no choice. He is Shampoo's husband."

"Your laws", Akane growled as her battle aura exploded around her, "have no legal status here in Japan. They are completely meaningless. You are the outsiders here. I wonder Elder, just how would you feel being on the receiving end of your own laws? How about we place a Kiss of Death on you and your precious bimbo of a granddaughter and hunt you to the ends of the Earth. Better yet, how about if the Japanese military scatters your village to the four winds for declaring war on us! Your own government probably wouldn't care about you enough to raise a finger either after all you are a menace to everyone around you!"

"Are you through ranting nonsense girl?", Cologne said sharply and then continued, "Good. What you speak of will never come to pass and you are about two hundred years too young to make me even break a sweat, let alone threaten me. Now, before you make me truly angry, I suggest you leave before I decide to destroy you. Go back to breaking bricks and playing martial arts, you will never amount to anything. Frankly I don't know what Ranma sees in you. You're almost worthless as a martial artist and you are completely worthless as a woman compared to Shampoo who is perfect for him and will bare him many healthy children. What can you do?"

"That's all you care about it isn't it. Ranma's so-called value at making babies. You don't care about his feelings or his desires just like Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi", Akane said as her brown eyes released some of the tears they had been holding.

"You're one to talk caring about his feelings, Miss hit him for saying one little thing Tendo", Cologne shot back sarcastically.

"I do care about his feelings Elder", Akane said tiredly without a trace of anger in her voice. "I wish I had been more understanding and had stayed my hand a lot more often. It is one of the many mistakes I have made dealing with him. Haven't you noticed by now that I do not chase after Ranma like Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi do? I am allowing him to make up his own mind on who he wants to be with. If he wants me, that's fantastic. If he doesn't it'll hurt like hell but I will not force him like you are trying to do. Honestly, I am really surprised he is still here in Nerima with all of the crap everyone, including me, has heaped upon him. I don't deserve him anymore than the rest of you, Ukyo or Kodachi do."

Cologne looked at the younger woman in front of her and pondered the youngest Tendo's words for a few minutes. She could easily do an Amazon mind control trick and have her break up with Ranma but in the end that wouldn't really accomplish her true goal. Odds were that if Akane destroyed Ranma's heart he would just run away forever with nothing holding him in Nerima anymore. That would actually be counter productive since she didn't personally care if Ranma married Shampoo or not, she just wanted his genetics in the tribe. Cologne's smile twisted devilishly and she smirked as an idea appeared in her ancient mind.

"I have an idea Akane", Cologne said slyly, her earlier anger forgotten. "If you can give me what I want, I can give you something that you'll like in addition to the tonic to grow your hair."

A little while later Akane walked out of the Nekohanten looking extremely pale. Cologne had come up with a solution that would help a lot of people but the raven haired girl was unsure of the cost. The youngest Tendo felt sick to her stomach, the only one that should have Ranma's children was her once they were married and out of school. Akane clenched her fists and seethed, '_All of that just to get some hair tonic? No way. There is no way Ranma is going to provide that bitch Shampoo with a child just so I can grow my hair faster. Yeah, Cologne mentioned that they would leave once her great granddaughter was impregnated but I can't trust them. She might only care about his sperm but Shampoo probably won't settle for anything less than him. Ranma is mine damn it, MINE!_'

* * *

><p>"Akane", a male voice said from behind her.<p>

The girl in question stopped and slowly turned around and saw that Mousse was actually talking to her instead of a lamp post and asked, "Yes?"

"I can get you the hair tonic without you having to go through the elder's scheme", Mousse said as he led her away from the restaurant so there would be less chance for them to be overheard.

"You are willing to help me?", Akane asked warily, not sure how to take the offer of assistance.

"Of course", Mousse said sincerely, "You and I have a common goal Akane. We should be allies despite my misguided attempt at kidnapping you when we first met. I humbly apologize for that by the way. At the time I wanted Saotome out of the way by any means possible. However, it has become obvious to me that you do not wish for Ranma to have anything to with Shampoo and neither do I. I most certainly do not wish to see Shampoo carry that man's child and neither do you."

"Thank you Mousse", Akane said happily as she embraced the white robed male briefly.

"Now now Akane, none of that", Mousse reprimanded gently, "We don't need a certain pigtailed boy or girl to get jealous now do we?"

"No", Akane said softly. "Mousse, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"That depends on what it is", Mousse said sarcastically with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Why do you pursue Shampoo?", Akane asked sincerely, "She's blindly chasing after Ranma who wants nothing to do with her and you chase after her. She shows you nothing but contempt and distain just as Ranma shows Shampoo nothing but disgust and loathing and yet you persist as she does? Why? Why not find a girl who will actually give you the attention and respect you deserve?"

"I am an Amazon male, I don't really deserve respect from warriors", Mousse said dejectedly.

"You are a master of hidden weapons and a warrior yourself", Akane said earnestly, "Free yourself from the shackles of tyranny that plague you. Shampoo and Cologne really don't deserve your loyalty after the way they have treated you. There are many women here in Japan that would love to have you as a boyfriend. You're handsome, dedicated to the one you love, very friendly and helpful. Once you start wearing your glasses more often or get your eyes fixed so you aren't running into lamp posts and the like all the time you would be quite the catch."

"I will consider your words Miss Tendo, thank you", Mousse said solemnly. "I'll see what I can do about getting you that hair formula for your kindness. It would be my honor if you would consider me a friend. For now though I must depart and prepare to open the restaurant."

"Thank you Mousse. I would be happy if I could count you as one of my friends", Akane said with her brilliant sunny smile plastered on her face as she waved goodbye.

Mousse headed back towards the Nekohanten and paused to look at Akane one last time as her words echoed in his mind. Why did he 'love' the completely flawed Shampoo? What was so great about her considering how many nefarious schemes he had seen her cook up. The destruction of the Tendo dojo was just the latest in a series of homicidal actions the spoiled brat, that thought she could do whatever she wanted without repercussions, had cooked up. The black haired man continued into the restaurant lost in thought, his so-called vision of loveliness suddenly growing warts and wrinkles all over, and no, he wasn't looking at Cologne at the moment.

Akane sighed as she watched Mousse walk back into the Nekohanten. She really hoped he would be able to help her with the hair formula. No amount of tonic would ever be worth what Cologne wanted for it. The youngest Tendo would wait the six months before giving into that "suggestion".

* * *

><p>Akane felt her stomach complaining at the lack of sustenance so she decided to head home. As she approached, the raven haired girl could make out various noises coming from the dojo and she wondered what was going on.<p>

"I'm home", Akane announced as she stepped into the house and headed for the kitchen.

"Oh hello Akane, did you enjoy your morning run?", Kasumi asked as she was putting away some dishes.

"Yes I did. Kasumi, what is all that racket outside?", Akane asked as she picked out a tea blend that would help her with her growing headache. Another particularly loud bang occurred and the youngest Tendo winced in pain.

"Ranma, Mr. Saotome and Father are attempting to repair the dojo so we don't have to hire as much outside help", Kasumi replied. "Go ahead and take your bath Akane if you want, I'll make you some breakfast."

"Really? Mr. Saotome and Daddy are actually doing something around here that doesn't involve getting drunk or the Shogi board?", Akane asked sarcastically. Kasumi frowned and nodded.

Nabiki chuckled to herself and said, "She isn't wrong Kasumi. What do either of those men really do around here, even if one of them is our father?"

"I know", Kasumi said sadly, "Anyways, I left you some breakfast in the refrigerator since you weren't here earlier. I think I am going to go lay down for a little while."

Akane and Nabiki looked at one another with raised eyebrows as the youngest Tendo asked in concern, "Are you alright Kasumi?"

"I'll be fine little sister, thank you. I'm just feeling tired between waking up last night because of Ranma's nightmare and then everything going on this morning", Kasumi replied as she started to head up the stairs in order to return to her bedroom.

"Oh, Kasumi, will you hang on for a second please", Akane called out to her elder sister and then turned towards her older sister and said, "Nabiki, are you going to be around for awhile today?"

"I can be sis, what's up?", Nabiki asked, curiosity peaked as Akane usually never inquired to what she was up to.

"I need to talk to both of you", Akane said. "It would be better if we did it sooner than later."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and gave her younger sister a questioning look and said, "Indeed. Well, I'll be up in my room for the foreseeable future so why don't you go ahead and eat quickly and then come on up?"

"Alright", Kasumi nodded and replied slowly, "I guess I can take a nap after our talk."

Akane heated up her left over breakfast and ate quickly. Kasumi and Nabiki headed upstairs to the middle Tendo's room curious as to what their younger sister wanted to talk to them about. Kasumi figured it had to do with the wedding as surely she wouldn't want to talk about her feelings or anything where Nabiki could overhear it.

Nabiki puzzled over what her tomboy sister could possibly want to talk to _her_ about given her blackmailing and information brokering tendencies. '_Although, I am graduating in six weeks and won't be maintaining my empire at Furinkan anymore. It's time to start dismantling it I suppose but perhaps my little sister will give me one last thing to work with._'

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Akane walked upstairs and entered Nabiki's room. Kasumi sat on the be next to her sister which left either the floor or the desk for the youngest Tendo to sit at. The raven haired girl sat down at the desk and looked at her older sisters, thinking for a moment how she wanted to start their talk.<p>

"First of all Nabiki", Akane said neutrally, "why did you invite all of those lunatics to my wedding only to destroy it? Was it just for the money and you didn't care about us or was it something else?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and asked incredulously, "Did you really want to get married?"

Akane looked down at her feet and said hesitantly, "No, not really. We're not ready for that. Did you know that already and try to protect me or were you just being your normal greedy and chaos instigating self?"

"Is this really what you wanted to talk to me about?", Nabiki asked, her voice edged in steel. The middle Tendo felt slightly insulted that her sister thought she caused chaos on purpose even if it did help bring in money. Chaos was good and all and it followed Ranma everywhere but it also created unexpected expenses.

"I have other things I want to talk to you two about, but I want to know this too", Akane replied, irritation replacing her hesitation.

Nabiki sighed and walked over and knelt before her little sister taking her hands into her own and said, "I didn't destroy your wedding to hurt you Akane. I knew that Father essentially blackmailed you into agreeing to the wedding in order to help Ranma. I know you care for him but I really don't think the two of you are ready for that step. Have you two gone out any dates or anything? Can you really imagine your life with him?"

Akane sighed and said, "I love him Nabiki…"

"Yes, but love does not mean ready for marriage", Nabiki said softly, "You aren't even eighteen yet Akane. When you marry, you should marry because you are sure you love the guy and that he loves you. It would help if he didn't have a bunch of other girls chasing him too."

"Nabiki", Akane said softly and made her eyes look big as she pleaded, "will you please stop selling pictures of me and Ranma to Kuno and the other perverts at school? With the failed wedding the Horde will probably start back up again and I just can't deal with that again."

"How are we going to pay for the repairs to the dojo?", Nabiki asked, annoyed that her sister would ask her to cut off a source of income when they needed it more than usual.

"I wanted to ask you what you think our options might be getting back at Ukyo and Shampoo for their hands in destroying the dojo. Could we sue them for damages? Even though Kodachi didn't actually do anything to wreck the dojo, maybe we could blame her and that idiot brother of hers as well. They are certainly rich enough. Maybe we could get immigration to kick the Amazons out of the country as well?", Akane asked, fire burning in her eyes as she clasped her hands in her lap.

Nabiki's trademark smirk came back full force then, the idea of suing the girls for the destruction of the their dojo when it was the Saotomes they were after definitely appealed to her. Blaming the Kunos and siphoning off a large chunk of their money definitely appealed to the mercenary Tendo as the wheels in her head began to turn on how she could spin it to include them in the lawsuit. The problem was of course the Kuno lawyer team. A protracted legal battle with the Kunos would come down to money and they had a lot more of it than she did.

Kasumi watched and listened in silence until then when she said, "After all the damage they have done to us, I think that would be an excellent idea. You know, you might be able to get another lawsuit for the Saotomes against the three of them as well for their actions in destroying Auntie's house."

Akane's battle aura appeared around her and Nabiki backed away in surprise with a small yelp. The raven haired girl pounded her fist into an open hand and said, "Yeah, let's sue them for everything they've got, drive the Nekohanten and Ucchan's out of business and get rid of them once and for all."

"Oh my!", Kasumi gasped as a hand flew to her mouth. The eldest daughter wasn't a big believer in revenge and retribution, but enough was enough. She was getting tired of her beautiful home being constantly wrecked by one strange situation after another and with the destruction of their family legacy, it was time to take the gloves off and go to war.

Nabiki's smirk turned into a shark grin and she said menacingly, "I'll investigate our options. You're right, this has gone on long enough. It's time for the Tendo sisters to show them that we mean business. When the dust settles we'll be standing atop the smoking ruins of those bitches with smiles on our faces."

"Nabiki", Akane said slowly, "What do you think will help our revenge more, getting everyone to boycott the Nekohanten and Ucchan's or leaving them alone until we drop the lawsuit on them?"

"That's an interesting question", Nabiki replied as an evil smile spread across her face, "If we allow them to keep acquiring money it would mean more for us perhaps. However, I think it would be more satisfying to beat them down with the boycott before we break them entirely with the lawsuit. The emotional damage would be higher because they would feel confused and rejected just before we crushed them."

Akane put her hand out as an evil smile appeared on the raven haired girl's face. She delighted in the notion that she would defeat her rivals without throwing a single punch. Nabiki put her hand on top of her baby sister's and the two of them looked towards Kasumi. The eldest sister sighed but nodded and put her hand on top of Nabiki's. The three girls looked at one another and saw the fire within each other's eyes and nodded their heads. In that moment, the Tendo sisters had decided to declare war on the fiancée brigade.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Nodoka walked out towards the dojo and called for Ranma. The pigtailed martial artist put down some boards he was handling and poked his head outside, wondering what his mother wanted.<p>

"Ranma", Nodoka said calmly, "Will you come inside for awhile? I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure Mom", Ranma replied and smiled as he set down some boards he was carrying much to the displeasure of his father. The pigtailed martial artist smirked at the old man and walked outside the dojo.

"Nodoka dearest", Genma complained, "can't he do that later? We're working on repairing the damage those silly girls did to the dojo."

"You and Soun can continue working on that seeing how you two do so little around here", Nodoka said crossly, "I want to talk to my son about his silly girl fan club problem and now is an excellent time."

"Yes dear", Genma replied and walked back into the dojo with a scowl on his face. This was supposed to be his retirement and here he was working and the boy wasn't. He looked over at Soun who just shrugged his shoulders and went back to work. Very few people crossed Nodoka it seemed, least of all her failure of a husband.

Nodoka and Ranma walked back into the house. The copper haired woman told her son to go sit in the tea room while she would prepare some tea and cookies that she would bring in a few minutes later. The pigtailed martial artist walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Nodoka walked in and set the tray down with their food and drink and then sat down opposite her son.

"Ranma", Nodoka said casually, "what can you tell me about the other three girls that are chasing you?"

Ranma rolled his eyes and said, "Two of them are crazy and one is nothing more than a friend as far as I am concerned."

"Oh come now Ranma. That's not very descriptive but I am happy to note that it sounds like you aren't interested in any of them. You just need to get them to somehow move on", Ranma snorted at that while Nodoka frowned as she continued, "How hard have you tried to dissuade them?"

The pigtailed martial artist fidgeted in his seat and looked down at the floor as he said quietly, "Probably not as hard as I should have really. I didn't want to hurt their feelings."

"That's commendable Ranma", Nodoka replied, "but you do realize since there is only one of you and four of them including Akane, that three are going to be hurt no matter what you do. If you had told them right away I think it would have hurt less than having dragged it out."

Ranma flinched and said softly, "I kept hoping they would just lose interest. Take Kodachi for instance, she has no fiancée claim whatsoever. She's just a lunatic stalker that's latched onto me. She loves to dabble in poisons and potions and frequently tries to snare me with paralysis powders", Ranma grimaced as his face turned green thinking back through all of his encounters with the crazy gymnast.

"Well, I can certainly say she is rather unsuitable for my wild horse", Nodoka said warmly as she rested her hands on top of her son's.

"Shampoo is even worse!", Ranma said as his mother raised a curious eyebrow. "Right after I was cursed she spent the next month trying to kill me. Once she found out I was really a guy she started trying to seduce me. She would run me down with a bicycle and rub herself all over me which made me terribly uncomfortable, especially since Akane would get jealous further adding to my misery. If all that wasn't bad enough, she has tried numerous love potions to get me to choose her. On top of that, there is the Old Ghoul who is sneaky and very dangerous."

Ranma rubbed his aching head for a few moments and then continued, "I have told them countless times I am not interested but they keep insisting on their Amazon laws which should have no basis here in Japan. Naturally they ignore that little bit and continuously harass me."

"What are these laws?", Nodoka asked. She already didn't like them but wondered how much she should hate them for their torment of her only child.

"The first one is the Kiss of Death. It states that if an outsider female defeats one of them in combat that the Amazon must travel to the ends of the earth to kill the mark", Ranma replied as his thoughts drifted back to when Shampoo was chasing him around China for a month. He finally lost her for a week or so before she showed up at the Tendos.

Nodoka gasped and said, "Wow, these Amazons sure are sore losers indeed and it could easily backfire on them. I wonder how their village would stand against being bombarded by the Chinese military if they should happen to kill a party official's wife."

Ranma grimaced and said, "Not very well. Perhaps I should mention that to them to encourage a change in their narrow thinking. The other kiss I am aware of is the Kiss of Marriage. It states that if an outsider male defeats the Amazon that she must marry him which is where my current problem lays. The thing is, I didn't technically beat her, she knocked herself out trying to attack me. The whole situation is just so stupid but they are incredibly dangerous so I am not really sure what to do about it."

The Saotome matriarch listened intently to her son's words and felt her anger rise within her. How dare that little lavender haired bitch try to kill her only child and then try to seduce him afterwards. That wretched grandmother too, attempting to bully her son. Nodoka wasn't sure what she could really do though. She lacked the fighting skill to remove them from consideration that way and why would they listen to her if they ignored her own son? Still, she had nothing really to lose by trying, maybe the elder Amazon would actually respect a matriarch's opinion. Nodoka decided she would take a trip down to the Nekohanten the following day. Perhaps during lunch, if she aired enough of the Amazon's dirty laundry… Knowing how overprotective her son was, Nodoka decided not to inform him of her plan.

Ranma took a sip of his tea and immediately felt a little less edgy and set down his cup as his mother asked, What about Ukyo?"

"I think of her only as a friend, nothing more. I thought she was a boy when I met her when I was six years old. We would spar and anytime I won I got a free okinomiyaki. I won a lot", Ranma grinned as he licked his lips. "Then, ten years later she shows up and tries to kill me. Is there something wrong with me mom? It seems as though everyone wants to kill me and if that fails they want to date me except for Ryoga. He just wants to kill me", Ranma smirked in a self deprecating manner.

Nondoka giggled slightly and shook her head as she said warmly, "It's part of your charm dear."

Ranma rolled his eyes and exhaled noisily as he continued, "Anyways, after she failed to kill me and it was revealed that she was a girl, she decided to drop her revenge and wanted to marry me. I called her cute one time and she's blown it completely out of proportion. She brings it up constantly making her decidedly uncute, in fact I might just tell her that the next time she does it."

"Would she be a suitable wife for you Ranma? Never mind that you don't think of her in those terms, but she isn't crazy or anything is she?", Nodoka asked, well aware that none of her son's fiancées were really perfectly suitable, even though she favored Akane. Then again, Genma and her were never truly suitable either, at least not what he had turned into over the last decade.

"Ukyo is in love with an illusion", Ranma said tiredly. "She wants me to lose myself by working in a restaurant. She doesn't care that I have zero interest in that sort of lifestyle and it would ruin all my martial arts training. I am only the best because I work at it and am constantly challenged. If I worked in a restaurant, when would I train? What about my dreams and goals? No, Ukyo is as selfish as Kodachi and Shampoo are."

Nodoka nodded her head sagely and said, "Then out of the four, it would seem Akane is the most suitable for you. She doesn't try to dictate your future or use love potions and paralysis powder to control you. She doesn't seem to chase you though, so I have to wonder how she really feels about you and how you feel about her. You two don't really act like a couple. It's almost like she is allowing you to make your own choice instead of trying to force one on you."

Ranma looked thoughtful at that and had to agree. The tomboy had never chased him or glomped onto him making him uncomfortable. She had never laced food with potions or anything even though her cooking was by far the most toxic of them all. Did she love him though? Did he love her?

"Mom, I need to go think for awhile alright?", Ranma asked as he started to rise from the couch.

"Alright son", Nodoka said as she too rose. The Saotome mother and son hugged for a few moments before they released one another. The auburn haired woman sat back down and took a sip of her tea as she considered her son's words. Something definitely needed to be done about those three horrible girls that would make an unsuitable wife for her son. The elder Saotome then thought about Akane and smiled. Despite the girl's lack of feminine talents she would make a better wife than the other three. Nodoka wondered if she could teach the tomboy some things to help her out as she had seen some of the disasters in the kitchen from previous visits. The elder woman thought that would probably be the best area to start with.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Akane walked down stairs with a robe in her hand after talking with her sisters about retaliating against the fiancée brigade. She didn't really want to think about them at the moment though and just wanted to relax in the bath. Her muscles were a little stiff since she didn't take a bath as soon as she got home like she usually did. As she descended the stairs the raven haired girl heard Auntie Saotome and Ranma talking in the tea room about something. The youngest Tendo decided against eavesdropping a second time. She still hadn't apologized for the last night, though if she were to be completely honest with herself she would know she wasn't actually sorry. Akane had learned some valuable information and she really shouldn't insult her fiancé with a fake apology.<p>

A little while later, after she had bathed and changed into a pink dress and white blouse combination, Akane left the house to meet her friends Yuka and Sayuri. The raven haired girl looked at her watch and picked up her pace as she jogged towards the ice cream shop so she could meet them on time. Akane walked into the shop and noticed her friends in the far corner and waved to them when they called her name. She walked up to the booth they were sitting in and the three girls greeted one another before a waitress stopped by.

"Hi there, what can I get for the three of you?", the young girl asked politely. She looked at the first girl, Sayuri, who had dark brown hair tied into a pony tail that went down her back to about midway.

"I would like a strawberry sundae", Sayuri replied as her brown eyes danced in eagerness.

"Chocolate fudge for me", Yuka said, a light brown haired girl with brown eyes who wore her mid back length hair in a single mane.

"I'll take a chocolate and vanilla brownie sundae", Akane replied as she licked her lips in anticipation.

Yuka and Sayuri looked at their raven haired friend with a raised eyebrow as Sayuri said, "Are you alright Akane? That's your Ranma Special that you usually get when he's done something to annoy you more than usual."

Akane grinned and said, "Ranma Special huh? I guess he has done a lot of things over the years to upset me, but no, this isn't about him at all. Despite the disaster of the wedding yesterday I am feeling pretty good actually. We talked things over some last night and I think we'll be okay. We're too young to be getting married anyway, so even though I'll never admit it to them, Shampoo and Ukyo actually probably did us a favor disrupting the wedding."

"Not to mention the wedding night", Sayuri said suggestively and grinned mischievously.

"Yeah, you aren't doing _that_ with Ranma are you?", Yuka asked as her face screwed up into something resembling disgust.

"Girls please", Akane said softly as her face burned bright red and she lowered her eyes. "We've never really been out on a date or kissed. There is no way either one of us are ready enough to do _that_."

"You and Ranma have never kissed? I find that hard to believe", Sayuri replied.

"The one under the cat fist doesn't count", Akane said, before either of her friends could suggest that one.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of that", Sayuri replied, "I meant real kisses, you know where your lips touch and you stick your tongues in each other's mouths."

"You know, we're going to be seniors soon and I still don't have a boyfriend", Yuka complained. "The problem is most of the boys at school are losers, perverts or both."

"Yeah, Akane got the only good one", Sayuri said wistfully. "Even with his mouth and brash arrogance he's still a lot more tolerable than all of the other ones, especially Kuno." The three girls all wrinkled their noses in disgust at the mention of the delusional kenoist.

Just then, the waitress showed up with their sundaes and all three girls' faces lit up. They thanked the girl and commenced on eating their treats lost in their own thoughts for a few minutes.

"Girls", Akane said hesitantly, "How would you feel about Ranma joining us as a girl at lunch? She could get to know you two better and you could get to know her."

Yuka and Sayuri looked at one another, the female pronouns referencing Ranma not lost on them, and shrugged. Did Akane think of Ranma as two different people now? Her fiancé and a red headed friend?

"What do you think Sayuri?", Yuka whispered, hoping Akane wouldn't hear their little side conference.

"I don't know", Sayuri whispered back, "If girl Ranma still acts like boy Ranma, do we really want him around? There's only so much of him I can take and Akane's complained enough to us about him in the past."

"True", Yuka whispered, "I wonder why she wants to invite him into our little group though, perhaps we should ask."

Sayuri nodded and then turned towards their mutual friend and said, "Why do you want him to join us?"

"I don't know", Akane said slowly, "I guess I thought it would be nice if my three best friends and I could all have lunch together. I can understand why you wouldn't want her around though I suppose given my history with her."

Yuka and Sayuri once again looked at one another, noticing how much Akane was saying 'her' when referencing Ranma. Did he think he was a girl again? Was his curse locked?

"What do you think Yuka?", Sayuri whispered as she used a hand to block Akane's view of her mouth.

"I guess we can try it, worst comes to worst we don't invite him back or something", Yuka whispered back.

The two brown haired girls turned back towards their mutual friend and Sayuri said cautiously, "Okay. We can try it one day anyway. I hope he behaves himself."

"She will", Akane replied happily and then said, "Thank you girls for being my best friends and understanding."

"Well", Yuka said hesitantly, "to be honest I don't understand, but I know how important Ranma is to you so I am willing to give him a chance because you are my friend." Sayuri nodded her agreement.

"I have another important topic I would like to talk to you two about", Akane said seriously which caused her two friends to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "My sisters and I are moving against the other fiancées and want to exact retribution for their disgraceful attack on my family's dojo. Kasumi, Nabiki and I talked about it this afternoon and we're going to try to sue them for damages to recover the cost of repairs. Before we crush them with a lawsuit though, we want to hurt them emotionally, mentally and financially too and we would appreciate it if you would boycott both the Nekohanten and Ucchan's. If you could help us get others to join in this boycott, perhaps it would be successful."

Akane continued with a fire in her eyes as she said, "Nabiki is looking at our options now and seeing what we can really accomplish. She's also going to look into getting the Amazons deported."

"This is rather ambitious of you Akane", Sayuri said thoughtfully as Yuka nodded in agreement. "While I can't speak for Yuka, I will help you with this in any way that I can. I hereby boycott the Nekohanten and Ucchan's in an effort to help you with your vengeance."

"I, Yuka, hereby boycott the Nekohanten and Ucchan's in an effort to assist you with your plan", Yuka said with conviction. If it helped Ranma and Akane get together, and removing those annoying girls would help in that regard, she was all for it.

"Thank you girls", Akane said as her brown eyes shimmered brightly, "Nabiki may have a better plan than what I've come up with though, so would you check with her tomorrow and see if she has something different in mind than word of mouth?"

"Of course", they both said in unison.

Akane, Yuka and Sayuri then switched to lighter topics for the awhile afterwards before they all said their good-byes to one another and went their separate ways. The raven haired girl didn't really want to go home just yet so she headed off towards the park enjoying the gentle breeze and the clear blue skies.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, the Tendos and Saotomes were sitting around the dining room table and it almost seemed like things were back to normal. Almost. Other than the small fact that Ranma was missing, conversations were lively and morale was better than it had been the previous evening in light of the wedding disaster. Soun and Genma were drinking and carrying on in a drunken cheery mood. Nabiki was stoned faced as usual no doubt thinking up some scheme or another. Kasumi and Nodoka were talking about a new recipe they wanted to try the next time there was a special occasion. Akane just sat there quietly and ate slowly as she wondered where Ranma was and why no one seemed concerned that he was missing. Finally having had quite enough, she decided to voice her irritation.<p>

"That's it!", Akane yelled getting everyone's attention instantly, "You all are carrying on without a care in the world and Ranma is missing! Don't you care? Don't you wonder why he isn't here?"

Nabiki covered her mouth to hide a sly grin as a throaty chuckle escaped from her mouth. The men just looked at her strangely. Nodoka and Kasumi giggled lightly as the elder Tendo daughter said, "Nothing to worry about Akane. Ranma told me earlier that he would be missing dinner and wouldn't be back until later tonight."

"Oh", Akane said sheepishly and turned a darker pink in embarrassment as she shrunk into herself at the table.

"Does this mean _you_ care about him Akane?", Nabiki said slyly.

The rest of the family laughed, some politely, some not so politely. They switched back to their conversations again as they figured they would never actually get a confession of love out of the youngest Tendo.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Akane went upstairs to her room to work on homework. It wasn't fun, but she was two weeks behind thanks to her adventure in China. She propped open her math book, and just like the evening before, just couldn't seem to get into it. Her thoughts drifted back to everything she had tried to set in motion that day with the most important one still looming on the horizon she hoped.<p>

Ranma had been absent most of the day except for the time he was talking to his mother while she was taking a bath before going to see her friends. Akane wondered where her fiancé was and hoped he would make it back in time so they could talk. They had never set a certain time or anything but seeing as how they had school in the morning it would seem that a time before midnight would be good.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Akane called for whoever it was to come in and set her book down as she turned in her chair to see who it was. Nodoka walked in and smiled warmly at her future daughter-in-law.

"Hello Akane", the elder Saotome said as she made her way over towards Akane's bed and sat down.

"Hello Auntie", Akane replied, glad for the respite from her homework and continued, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm sure he thanked you, but as a mother I wanted to thank you as well for your help in calming my son down last night", Nodoka said as she sighed. "I never knew he had such horrible nightmares but I am really glad you are willing and able to comfort him during those times."

Akane smiled and nodded, "It's not my place to tell you what they are about, but he's had some pretty bad ones ever since I've known him. I help when I can and I am usually able to calm him down. The one he had last night was one of the worst ones I've ever heard. He could wake the dead screaming like that."

"While I am proud of my son, sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision allowing Genma to take him away from me for martial arts training. He sacrificed having a proper childhood, socialization and family just to be a very good martial artist", Nodoka paused and then said, "I'm just not entirely sure it was worth it."

"It has been a very rough road Auntie", the raven haired girl said slowly, "I hope he doesn't revert back to his old behavior. I don't think I could go back to the way things were. I'm tired of having him insult me and hitting him for it. I just want us to get along like good friends if nothing else, even though I care for him greatly."

"Family honor aside, will you marry my son?", Nodoka asked curiously.

"That depends Auntie", Akane said carefully, "If he reverts back to his old self no. If he doesn't love me, no. Even if he loves me and can control his mouth, I still don't want to marry him right now. I'm not even eighteen years old yet and I would rather we actually dated for awhile first. If that worked out we could become fiancées because we loved each other and wanted to be together. If that happens then yes I would want to marry Ranma but still not this early. I want to complete high school before I even think about getting married. I definitely do not want to have a child before I am finished with college."

Nodoka nodded in understanding and said, "Good. If I had the ability to stop all of the engagements until after you graduated high school I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't honestly believe I have that ability but I will try. I suspect those Amazon troublemakers will be the most difficult to convince. The only thing I think that may work on them is a decree from the Matriarch of the Saotome clan. Since they are a woman led society maybe it'll be enough, maybe it won't."

"Do you want to try to have a meeting with all of them here next Saturday?", Akane asked, wondering if Nabiki's boycott/lawsuit combination will have any effect by then and maybe they could use that as leverage.

"That would probably be acceptable or even the week after if we want to keep our distance from them for awhile because of what they did to your dojo. I don't think Ranma wants to see any of them anytime soon.", Nodoka replied as she clenched her fists in anger. "Not that I blame him, I'm still upset with them for wrecking my house and would love to see them pay dearly for that disgrace."

Akane smiled evilly and said, "I wonder if you could sue them. They attacked and destroyed your house without cause and should be punished for it. Maybe they could be thrown in jail for a few years and have their engagements nullified."

"Actually Akane", Nodoka said thoughtfully, "I wonder if there is a law on the books that would allow me to dissolve everything in such a way they would have no choice but to accept it because of their actions. Perhaps I should talk to Nabiki about it."

"Auntie", Akane said, her evil smirk still on her face, "Kasumi, Nabiki and I already have a plan in the works in regards to suing the Amazons, Ukyo and Kodachi because of the destruction of the dojo at their hands. I mentioned to Nabiki that perhaps you would be interested in a similar lawsuit regarding your house. I think all you would need to do is tell her you're interested and we'll make sure those bitches pay dearly for crossing us."

Nodoka was tempted to reprimand her future daughter-in-law for language but decided against it. This was a time for war, and war was an ugly business. The elder Saotome looked into Akane's brown eyes and saw the fire burning within. The girl was ready for a fight to defend what was rightfully hers as the Saotome-Tendo agreement was made first, before either Ranma or Akane were even born.

Akane and Nodoka switched to some lighter topics for awhile before the elder Saotome decided to call it a night. Akane felt like taking a bath to relax her muscles which had tightened up during the course of the day thinking about the various plans she and her sisters had going. Revenge was stressful work, it was little wonder Ryoga had always seemed high strung with his vendetta against Ranma. The raven haired girl briefly wondered what happened to both Ryoga and P-chan, not having seen either one of them all day. She shrugged figuring they were wandering around somewhere and gathered up her bathing supplies as well as her robe.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in what he thought was wilderness, Ryoga sneezed. The lost boy looked around trying to get his bearings before raising his fist to the heavens and shouting, "Where the hell am I now? Ranma Saotome, this is all your fault!"<p>

The cursed martial artist set up his tent as it was getting dark. He had a hard enough time not getting lost when he could see where he was going. There was no way Ryoga was going to chance wandering around at night unless his life depended on it. While he waited for his dinner to cook he felt his anger at Ranma boil to the surface as if he needed a reminder of why he was following the plan he had devised the previous evening at the Tendo estate. He never knew how he traveled so far in such a short time, it never made any sense to him. His direction curse seemed to act like a form of teleportation that took him a day to get somewhere on foot that it would take another person a week. It would be incredibly valuable if he could only control it. As it was, it was a royal pain in the ass most of the time.

If the lost boy had actually looked at his surroundings a little more carefully he would have noticed that he had set up his campfire and tent in the middle of Nerima park.

* * *

><p>The raven haired girl went downstairs to the furoba and noticed that the occupied sign was not out which she was grateful for. Akane thought back to the first time she walked in on Ranma and the ugliness that happened afterwards. She wondered, not for the first time, that if that one event had been avoided how different her relationship with Ranma would have really been. If she hadn't walked in and then screamed, perhaps she wouldn't have called him a pervert which he wouldn't have responded with something else which then she finished by knocking the black haired boy unconscious with a table. That one instance completely ruined their beginning but they were passed that now so going back might not help anything, not that she could anyway.<p>

Closing her eyes for a moment as she stood outside the door, Akane muttered a quick apology to Ranma before stepping inside the changing room. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathing room proper and sat on a stool. Taking a deep breath, she proceeded to scrub herself for a few minutes before soaking in the tub. She sank deep enough into the tub so that the water rose to her chin and covered her breasts. The hot water relaxed her body and Akane moaned softly as she felt tension she wasn't even aware of seep out of her and she closed her eyes.

_Some indeterminable time later, Akane found herself on the roof over her bedroom waiting for her fiancé to show up. She had asked him earlier if they could talk and he had said that would be fine so long as P-chan wasn't around. So, here she was around 10:45pm without her small black pig wondering if the pigtailed martial artist would indeed show up. Akane unfolded a blanket and spread it out on the roof. She laid down and looked up at the moon. It was so peaceful and the raven haired girl understood why this was Ranma's favorite place to sit and think._

_There were a few questions in particular Akane wanted to talk about and get answers to. She wanted to know exactly how Ranma felt about her, whether he really loved her or not. The raven haired girl wanted to know, assuming the first question was positive, when they would go on their first date and kiss. The youngest Tendo was so tired of the status quo and if what Ranma had said earlier to his mother was true, so was he. It was time to end the madness once and for all and finally find some peace. Akane idly wondered what form that peace would come in. Would Ranma tell her he loved her or would he leave entirely? _

_Akane was sure that Ranma would ask her how she felt about his girl form, especially since he seemed to be wearing it more than usual lately. The raven haired girl thought about that for awhile when she sensed someone was coming. The youngest Tendo looked up from her spread out position and noticed a certain red haired girl approaching her with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Akane smiled, Ranma was usually easier to talk to as a girl and had an easier time expressing her emotions. The raven haired girl felt her heart skip a beat and wondered what her fiancé would say to her._

_"Hello Akane", Ranma said cheerfully as she approached the youngest Tendo and sat down on the blanket next to her fiancée._

_"Hello Ranma", Akane replied with a smile on her face as she rolled to a sitting position so she could look Ranma in the eyes. _

_The raven haired girl's brown eyes wandered all over the red haired girl's body sensing something was different. She noticed a few things, for one, the red-head's hair had been pulled out of her usual pigtail and flowed down her back in a free flowing mane. The other thing Akane noticed was that her fiancé was wearing a bra for some reason and with it probably panties as well instead of boxers. Ranma was still wearing her Chinese shirt and pants but for some reason she had decided to wear proper feminine underwear. _

_Ranma noticed Akane's scrutiny and blushed, knowing full well what the raven haired girl was noticing and looked away before her face lit up like a supernova. The youngest Tendo giggled slightly and put a hand on Ranma's chin in order to turn her fiancé's face back towards her. Akane could feel the desire to kiss Ranma burning deep within her heart but she knew she couldn't act on it until they had talked and she knew that the red haired girl loved her._

_Akane smiled and said sincerely, "You know Ranma, you should wear your hair unbound like that all the time. At least in your girl form it looks like fire and suits your personality better." The raven haired girl blushed as a thought appeared in her mind, 'You are much more beautiful looking with your hair trailing down your back like that rather than tying it in that loathsome pigtail.' _

"_Thanks Akane", Ranma replied as her cheeks turned a nice shade of pink in which Akane's smile widened and her warm chocolate eyes became more inviting. Ranma could feel herself getting lost in the brown depths and wanting nothing more than to kiss the raven haired girl that still had a hand on her face. The red haired girl knew she couldn't though, at least until Akane told her it was okay for them to kiss in general, let alone with both of them as girls. Ranma hoped, prayed even, that her fiancée wouldn't have a problem with her girl side when it came to showing affection but thought that might be too much to hope for._

"_Thank you for coming up here tonight so we could talk Ranma", Akane said silkily as she idly traced her fiancé's jaw with her forefinger, "I know we have a lot to talk about but I am not really sure where to start. Do you have anywhere in particular you would like to begin?"_

"_U-Um", Ranma stuttered as she found herself melting a little under Akane's delicate touch and said shakily, "I-I don't really know either. I did want to talk to you tonight but I wasn't really sure how to ask you since it seemed as though you were avoiding me most of the weekend."_

_Akane nodded and placed her hand on top of her companion's and said quietly, "It's true, I was avoiding you for awhile. I wanted to think things through before I faced you again. I owe you an apology as well. I never should have invaded your privacy when you were talking to your mother by the Koi pond last night."_

_Ranma gasped in mock surprise and her eyes flashed slightly as she asked, "You were spying on us?"_

_The youngest Tendo smiled warmly and very playfully slapped Ranma on the cheek and teased, "Baka, of course you knew I was there. I saw you looking directly at me and I know how good you are at sensing another person's presence, particularly mine."_

_The red haired girl smiled brightly and nodded as she said quietly, "Yeah, I wondered if you were going to admit to it or not to see if I should trust you with more important things. I would prefer it if you didn't become like your sister, but I suppose for that conversation it was fine if you overheard it. How much did you hear anyway?"_

"_I think I heard everything but I don't know for sure", Akane said softly, "I only heard what you said aloud. If you whispered or said anything really softly I wouldn't have been able to hear it unless I was right next to you."_

_Ranma nodded and took both of Akane's hands into her own and said earnestly, "Then you know I have quite a few things I would like to apologize to you about." _

_Akane gasped and felt her eyes tearing up as she looked into her fiancé's beautiful blue eyes that seemed to have a raging fire burning within them. Apparently Ranma was serious._

"_First off", Ranma continued, "I want to apologize for all of the childish insults I said about your figure, martial arts abilities and everything else I have insulted over the last almost two years. I know I can't go back and change things but if we could start fresh now, a clean slate as it were, I think I can keep from insulting you. I reserve the right to tease you a little, but I don't want to insult you anymore. Truth of the matter is I find you to be an incredibly beautiful, sexy and desirable tomboy."_

_Akane gasped and squeezed her fiancé's hands gently as a brilliant sunny smile appeared on her face. Ranma never tired of seeing Akane smile like that and wanted to see it more often._

"_Secondly", Ranma paused for a moment before clearing her throat, "I will help you with your martial arts if you want. It's something I really should have been doing all along but I found it very difficult, and still do, to hit you. I know you are not made of glass and that to truly grow as a martial artist I will need to hit you. I thought I was protecting you but given everything we have been through and what may lay ahead, I need for you to be able to defend yourself better and not rely on me so much. I was wrong to rob you of your independence and I am sorry."_

"_Oh Ranma", Akane said softly as tears shimmered in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, "Thank you so much. I can't tell you how happy that makes me to hear that you will finally take me seriously as a martial artist. I've been waiting so long…"_

"_I know", Ranma said sadly, "all it took was for you to almost die at Jusendo for me to finally see everything I have been doing wrong all this time. I hope you can forgive me."_

_Akane lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She noted amusingly that their breasts were smashed together which caused an interesting sensation to spread through her body as she said, "Of course I forgive you. I-I love you. I-I love you more than anything Ranma." _

_Ranma stiffened for a second at the contact but then melted into her fiancée's embrace and said softly, "I-I love you too Akane. I have for a long time now. I could never seem to admit it to myself though, let alone to you."_

"_Ranma", Akane said desperately as she leaned back a little so she could see the red-head's beautiful face, "Kiss me."_

_Ranma's eyes widened and she stammered, "A-Are you sure Akane? I-I mean I am a girl right now…"_

"_I don't care what body you are wearing Ranma", Akane interrupted with a fiery passion in her voice, "I want my girlfriend to kiss me. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."_

"_Yes ma'am", Ranma replied with a giggle suddenly feeling very turned on by a demanding Akane. The raven haired girl's eyes flashed in amusement and the two girls leaned forward at the same time. Ranma wrapped her arms around her fiancée's back as Akane did the same to Ranma. They inched closer and felt each other's warm breath on their faces. Once they were sure their lips would touch as opposed to colliding somewhere else their eyes closed slowly. The two girls could feel their bodies revving up in anticipation and after a few more seconds their lips touched lightly and their hot breath mingled together as they exhaled into each other's mouth. _

_Akane tightened her grip on the red-head in front of her and their lips continued to press forward which allowed the chaste kiss to become something a great deal more passionate and steamy. Ranma responded by moaning erotically and tightened her grip on her tomboy's hair. The youngest Tendo gasped as a moan escaped her lips. The red haired girl intensified the kiss and slipped her tongue inside Akane's open mouth. The raven haired girl responded by grabbing a fistful of Ranma's hair and slid her own tongue into the red-head's mouth. The girls moaned louder and continued fencing back and forth and thoroughly enjoying each other's mouth as they explored every nook and cranny. _

_Suddenly Akane felt like their bodies were too far apart. The raven haired girl tackled Ranma onto the blanket covered roof and pressed herself against her new girlfriend's body. Their breasts rubbed against one another and they felt an interesting sensation shoot through their bodies. Their nether regions began to moisten and heat up with a feeling that both girls were vaguely familiar with but hadn't felt for awhile. After a few more minutes of devouring one another's mouths they finally broke off the kiss and looked at one another with wonder in their half lidded dazed eyes._

"_Wow", Akane breathed heavily with a twinkle glinting in her loving chocolate eyes as she stared into Ranma's blue ones. _

"_Wow. That was incredible", Ranma panted as she stared back at her girlfriend, still not believing what the two of them had done._

"_If what I've heard from the other girls at school is any indication", Akane said mischievously, "it get's even better. We should really hold off on that for awhile though and just get comfortable with each other doing things like this."_

_Ranma looked at her fiancée in shock, her eyes as wide as dinner plates, unable to process how things could possibly be better than what she had just experienced. The red haired girl found her voice lacking at that moment so she just nodded weakly and pulled Akane down on top of her again. Akane smiled letting Ranma take the lead this time and the two girls began kissing in earnest again. Ranma's delicate hands roamed all around her girlfriend's back and even cupped her ass a few times, eliciting a few moans of excitement from her raven haired fiancée. _

_Akane broke off kissing Ranma's mouth and began kissing down her neck. Ranma moaned and tilted her head to the side so that Akane could have better access to her sexy slender neck._

"_I love you Akane", Ranma whispered as she felt a warm fire spread through her igniting all of her senses in a way they had never been awakened before. She could feel the love pouring out of the other girl and Kami-sama it was intoxicating. Ranma was pretty sure she was already lost and frankly she didn't care. Her girlfriend was kissing her and she was enjoying every second of it._

_Akane broke off her kissing long enough to reply in a husky voice, "I love you too Ranma. Kami-sama you are so beautiful, sexy, and I want you so badly. There is a lot of stuff we can do but we really should wait until we're married for a lot of it."_

"_You know, I wish we had gotten married this afternoon, it's a shame all of those lunatics had to ruin it", Ranma said sadly but continued to stroke her girlfriend's back as Akane continued to kiss her neck._

"_We'll get our chance Ranma", Akane replied in deadly earnestness, "no one is going to keep us apart I promise you." _

_Thunder crashed in the night sky and lightning flashed in brilliant streaks of light. Akane ignored the imminent weather and proceeded to kiss her red haired girlfriend senseless for a couple more minutes. The raven haired girl too began feeling weak and light headed. It was about then that her consciousness started to register something wet surrounding her and the girl in front of her started to melt. The youngest Tendo began to panic as she climbed off Ranma and saw her girlfriend warp and dissipate, almost like a mirage. Her eyes widened in horror and she thought, 'Ranma, come back please!'_

Akane buried her head in her hands as Ranma faded from view entirely in a puff of mist. The strange wetness feeling came back to her and the youngest Tendo looked around in confusion. Why was she in the bathtub? Akane could have sworn she had gotten out of the bath earlier, had it really only been all a dream? She looked at her skin and saw that she was as wrinkled as Cologne and gasped. It had all been a dream, Ranma had never professed his love. It figures that only in her dreams would he say that he loved her. Akane then remembered that Ranma had said he would talk to her later without P-chan around. Perhaps he had planned to tell her he loved her? Either way it was too late now as it had to be well after midnight.

The youngest Tendo frowned and thought, '_I guess we'll have to talk tomorrow after all. I'll just tell him the truth. I fell asleep in the bathtub._'

The raven haired girl sat there for a few moments longer as she put her fingers to her lips, imagining Ranma kissing her again. Akane smiled and climbed out of the tub, her legs shaky from sitting in the warm water so long. She dried herself off and put on her pajamas and robe. After a few minutes of struggling, Akane was able to climb up the stairs to her room. She looked at the clock and sighed, 12:30am. She had been in the tub for nearly three hours, no wonder she felt horrible. The raven haired girl removed her robe and hung it up in her closet before her thoughts returned to her favorite red-head.

Smiling to herself, Akane crept down towards the guest room and snuck inside. Making sure she didn't hit any of the boards that creaked in the older house, she made her way to her fiancé's side and gazed at the red-head's beautiful face. Akane didn't even wonder for a second why Ranma was a girl at that particular time. The raven haired girl felt a flutter in her heart as she watched the red haired girl sleep peacefully. The youngest Tendo thought back to her dream and while she didn't think she was ready to make-out with Ranma without a declaration of love, one small kiss wouldn't hurt.

Ranma shifted in her sleep, on some level sensing someone kneeling nearby. Her danger sense wasn't tingling at all though, so she didn't wake. The red haired girl saw herself laying there on her futon looking peaceful with a certain raven haired girl kneeling nearby. A small smile formed on her lips as she realized Akane was watching over her as she had done for the youngest Tendo on many occasions. Ranma relaxed even further knowing she was safe and cared for.

Akane leaned over her fiance's sleeping form and brushed the hair away from her closed eyes. The raven haired girl sighed softly and thought passionately, '_I love you Ranma. I hope that you tell me that you love me tomorrow night. Isn't it time we stop lying to ourselves and become a real couple? Isn't it time we admit to one another the truth?_'

The raven haired girl captured one of Ranma's hands into her own and she held it to her chest. Akane ran her fingers over her fiancé's hand marveling at how soft they were and yet they were capable of shattering concrete. Ki-enhancement was simply an incredible thing and she knew she would need to get the red-head to help her out with her own Ki-manipulations including energy attacks.

Gathering her courage, Akane whispered, "I love you Ranma."

The raven haired girl licked her lips nervously as she stared at her Ranma's beautiful face. Steeling her resolve, she lowered her head so that her lips hovered directly above those of her currently female fiancé's. She could feel the red-head's warm breath escaping through her slightly open mouth and almost lost her nerve. Akane could feel her heart thundering in her chest a kilometer a second. The raven haired girl placed a hand on Ranma's soft cheek and leaned forward, gently touching the red haired girl's soft and luscious lips with her own. She let her lips linger there for a few seconds and relished in the surge of electricity she felt pass between them. Sucking in her breath, Akane deepened the kiss and felt the warmth envelope her as it passed between the two of them. She moaned in pleasure as she thoroughly enjoyed the stolen kiss.

Akane broke the kiss and leaned back in order to look at her love interest again and thought passionately, '_You're mine Ranma, not that crazy slut Shampoo's, that boyish Ukyo's or that insane Kodachi's but MINE!_'

'_Allow your heart to guide you and you'll never be misled, daughter…_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	3. Revelations

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter Two

_Revelations_

.

.

Akane opened her eyes slowly, despite the horrendous noise coming from somewhere to her right. Half heartedly she swatted at the sound and the youngest Tendo grinned as her alarm clock went flying through the air only to hit the wall with a satisfying thump. Kasumi had once called her newest clock 'Akane-proof' but her sleepy mind was bound and determined to prove her eldest sister wrong one of these days. Today would not be that day however as it continued to squawk at her from across the room. Sighing in irritation she climbed out of bed and retrieved the noisy object and turned it off, wondering ever so briefly why she was getting up so early. Akane changed into a suitable jogging outfit which consisted of black sweatpants and a blue tank top. She looked in the mirror one last time and brushed her hair with her fingers before heading towards Ranma's room in order to wake up her fiancé.

The raven haired girl found the red haired girl scrunched up in a fetal position which was rather unusual for her. Ranma ordinarily sprawled across his/her futon regardless of form. The red haired girl was sound asleep and looked as incredibly peaceful as she had the previous evening. Akane smiled and knelt down next to Ranma and gently played with the red-head's bangs as she shook her friend and called her name softly.

"Akane…", Ranma said dreamily as she shifted position in her sleep and faced the other girl while her eyes were still closed.

"Good morning sleepyhead", Akane said quietly as she shook the red haired girl a little harder in an effort to draw her out of dreamland.

Ranma breathed deeply as a sigh of contentment escaped her lips and Akane stared at the other girl's face. The raven haired girl admired the red haired girl's beautiful features and gently placed a hand on her fiancé's face in order to feel the softness of her cheeks. Akane's eyes drifted down towards Ranma's lips and smiled as she recalled the kiss she gave the red-head the night before. The contact had been brief but rather warm and had felt really nice. The youngest Tendo was tempted to steal another kiss and leaned forward to do so but stopped when Ranma began showing more signs of being alert.

Akane frowned in disappointment briefly before plastering a smile back on her face. The youngest Tendo wasn't sure if Ranma would be comfortable kissing her in his girl form and decided she would have to settle for stolen kisses for awhile. Akane figured it wouldn't be much of an issue once the two of them had confessed their love to one another but maybe it would be, she wasn't sure. The youngest Tendo desperately hoped that they would be honest with one another that evening at the very latest.

"Akane?", Ranma said sleepily as consciousness returned to her slowly. The raven haired girl put her hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Ranma", Akane said softly, "I never did get a chance to ask you this yesterday, but would you like to join me on my morning jog? The cool morning air will wake you up fairly quickly and it would give us a chance to talk. It's something I feel we need to do and haven't done in two days now."

"Mmm, so sleepy…", Ranma mumbled as she curled up into a tighter ball than she already was and turned to face the other direction. Akane pouted at the apparent dismissal but wouldn't give up that easily. The tomboy put her hands on Ranma's shoulder and gently shook the smaller girl.

"Ranma please?", Akane pleaded, saving her puppy dogs eyes for when her fiancé was actually looking at her, "You'll feel a lot better once we hit the pavement and the cold morning air."

Ranma opened her eyes slowly and rolled back over so she could look at her friend and sighed. The pigtailed martial artist felt really tired but knew she wouldn't get anymore sleep with Akane pestering her about going for a jog. Running around town all afternoon and evening yesterday had really taken it's toll on her system. When she finally got back to the Tendo's she just walked into her bedroom and collapsed, not even bothering to change back into a guy before falling asleep. After that, she had had a particularly enjoyable dream where Akane had kissed her passionately on the lips despite her being a girl at the time.

The red haired girl thought wryly, '_It was a dream wasn't it? Had to be, there is no way Akane would kiss me as a girl, would she?_'

Ranma looked up into the brown eyes of her fiancée and for just for a moment, did she see a hint of longing and desire? The red haired girl shook her head figuring she had to have imagined it given her thoughts at the moment. She smiled uncertainly and wondered idly how she would feel about kissing Akane as a girl. She imagined her tomboy's soft lips on her own and felt a wave of desire and longing surge through her. Her mouth felt incredibly dry all of a sudden and she tried to swallow the lump that was in her throat. Akane watched with interest as different emotions played across Ranma's face and wondered what she was thinking about.

"If you're going to come, we need to be going soon so hurry up and get dressed. I'll wait outside", Akane said as she stood up in order to leave the room.

"Akane", Ranma said a little more alertly, "What form do you want me to come along with you in?" Ranma thought the raven haired girl would prefer her to be a girl but figured she would ask and make sure.

Akane stopped for a second and turned to face her fiancé who was climbing out of her futon and heading over towards the dresser drawer presumably to pick out a suitable running outfit. Ranma dressed pretty androgynously anyway, so it's not like he/she would pick a pink top or a blue one depending on his/her form.

The raven haired girl looked her fiancé up and down for a moment, taking in her gorgeous figure and thought, '_Who do I want to run with, my fiancé or my best friend? I suppose both, after all Ranma will probably get splashed sometime during the run._'

Akane shrugged as she figured she would let Ranma choose her form and said pleasantly, "Whatever form you want Ranma. Knowing you you'll probably just wind up changing into a girl halfway through our jog anyway."

Ranma frowned slightly as she nodded her head in agreement and said, "Alright, I'll be ready in a couple minutes, why don't I meet you downstairs in the living room?"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later the two youngest teenagers were jogging away from the Tendo household with smiles on their faces. Ranma was more alert than he had been previously. They felt the rhythm of their feet pounding the pavement tune with their hearts as they proceeded along Akane's usual route. They sighed in contentment and breathed in the crisp morning air. There was a light breeze which brought with it some wonderful scents of someone's cooking and their noses enjoyed the sensation. Akane looked up at the sky and noted in amusement that while the sun was shining currently, it wasn't likely to last with Ranma the water magnet nearby. The clouds were already billowing and becoming taller and darker as the wind picked up.<p>

They jogged in silence for ten minutes and Akane felt a little nervous because of the silence and her fiancé's earlier reluctance to join her. The raven haired girl knew she had to be strong. She couldn't let him see how much the silence and avoidance was stabbing her in the heart and the pain that came with it. The youngest Tendo had to be prepared for the possibility that he didn't love her and would choose someone else, or leave entirely. Steeling her resolve, she clamped down on her heart but knew ultimately it would be pointless. She loved him and no matter how much she tried to guard her heart it was going to hurt like hell if he ever decided to leave.

"Ranma", Akane said as she flashed him a small smile, "I'm glad you decided to join me this morning after all."

"You didn't leave me much choice tomboy", Ranma said teasingly.

"Pfft", Akane scoffed and accelerated her jogging speed into a run, "I gave you plenty of choice Ranma. You didn't have to come along if you didn't want to. I would have been just fine without you."

"Akane", Ranma frowned as he picked up speed in order to catch up with his fiancé, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…", Akane replied as she turned a corner and hopped onto a wall and started running across it effortlessly as she would the sidewalk.

Ranma stopped for a second and watched in surprise as his companion disappeared from sight and silently cursed to himself. What if the clumsy tomboy got hurt because he wasn't there to catch her? He sprinted down the road and caught up a little bit later only to find Akane still running along the wall as if it was nothing. The pigtailed martial artist was impressed to say the least. He figured when they started working on her balance they would have to start at the beginning but apparently she had been practicing or was better at it than he had figured.

Akane ran along the wall focusing her Ki and concentration on the task of remaining balanced. It was a little more difficult than she thought it would be but she wanted to prove to herself she wasn't some porcelain doll that needed to be taken care of constantly like a delicate flower. The wall in question wasn't particularly challenging as it was nearly twenty centimeters wide but it would do since she was running and didn't want to fall only to have Ranma fuss over her about getting hurt or worse, laughing at her.

The raven haired girl had begun meditating in order to control her impulses to respond to things in anger and with that calm she found her movements becoming more graceful and fluid. It even helped with her balance so she had taken it upon herself to start running the walls to see where she stood. The youngest Tendo couldn't count on Ranma actually training her despite what he had said to his mother Saturday night. She would train herself, or seek out another if that's what it took.

"Hey tomboy", Ranma shouted as he was trying to catch up, "What is your hurry? I thought we were jogging together."

"I'm training Ranma, something you really should have been helping me with a long time ago", Akane shot back as she leapt over a sizable gap in the wall and landed on the other side in perfect balance as if there had been no gap.

Ranma gaped in surprise at the maneuver his fiancée had just performed flawlessly and shook his head at his own foolishness. In relatively short order he caught up and said despondently, "I know. Akane, I think we need to talk."

Akane looked over at her pigtailed companion and shrugged as she said, "So talk, we can run and talk at the same time."

"Not for this kind of talk. Can we go to the park for a few minutes?", Ranma asked as he looked up into the sky and noticed how much darker it had gotten over the last few minutes. He wondered idly how much time he had before the rain would fall and turn him into a girl again. He watched as Akane jumped over another gap in the wall as though it were nothing.

Akane stopped running after she landed on top of the wall and then hopped down to the sidewalk as Ranma stopped besides her. She looked at her black haired companion and saw something in his blue eyes, she wasn't sure what exactly. Sincerity? Sadness? Remorse?

Ranma shook his head in order to clear it and said, "How long have you been working on this?"

The youngest Tendo smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "For awhile now, I don't remember when I started. Shall we go to the park? You apparently have something you want to talk to me about."

The black haired martial artist nodded his head and the two of them and headed towards the park. Ranma looked at his fiancée and sighed longingly as the two of them jogged along. She was so beautiful even now as she jogged along besides him. Could he really just come out and say something like that though? Maybe he should wait until after her bath when she was in a pretty dress or something instead of when she was sweating in running shorts and a tank top. He watched as her breasts bounced up and down for a few moments before snapping his head back forward.

Akane noticed that Ranma was eyeing her chest for a few moments and wasn't sure exactly how she wanted to respond. Months ago she would have pounded him without hesitation but perhaps it was okay if he checked her out as long as he did it somewhat discreetly? After all she did want him to find her attractive and to open up more didn't she? The raven haired girl pondered for a few moments if that was perhaps something that had stagnated their relationship so badly for so long. He was so frightened of showing her any affection at all being afraid she would just call him a 'pervert' and knock him into next week. Akane smiled to herself as she decided to let it pass and take his quick gaze as a compliment. After all, if he ever wanted ogle a woman's chest all he had to do was splash himself and strip, so maybe it was her chest he was interested in despite him calling her flat chested in the past.

Ranma sighed in relief when it appeared that Akane hadn't noticed him staring at her chest for a few moments and smiled until he looked up a the sky again and noticed how much darker it was than a couple minutes earlier. The black haired martial artist sighed and said, "I'm sorry for ruining your run Akane."

Akane blinked at him genuinely confused and asked, "How did you ruin it?"

"We're about to get rained on. My curse is pulling in water from all over the place", Ranma replied sourly as he scowled in irritation.

"Silly Ranma, do you really think your curse is powerful enough to affect the weather?", Akane smirked in amusement as her eyes lit up when she noticed the shadows on the road were lengthening. She looked up into the sky and noticed the clouds had darkened considerably and smiled when she felt a few raindrops.

Ranma growled in aggravation and said, "Damn it, I just can't seem to spend any time as a guy at all these days. I got soaked a few times yesterday too and here I am about to get drenched again I just know it." Akane giggled to herself despite the mock glare her companion was giving her. Ranma smiled to himself, his fiancée really was cute when she laughed or smiled. His inner self highly suggested he say something to that effect but instead he kept his mouth shut.

"I thought you didn't mind your girl form as much anymore. Come on slowpoke", Akane teased as she increased her speed to reach the park before the sky opened up on top of them. Not that it would change the outcome any. Ranma frowned slightly at the slowpoke comment but then grinned and sped up as well. He was just about to catch his companion when they felt the temperature drop. The air felt a little heavier as the clouds coalesced overhead and then a light rain began to fall. It didn't take long for enough rain drops to hit him and trigger the change. The red headed girl scowled and clenched her fist towards the heavens and shouted in her soprano voice, "Damn you! You couldn't give me one hour as a guy?"

Akane tried to laugh to herself quietly but it came out a little louder than planned. Ranma joined in a few moments later as she began chuckling. The Saotome heiress was less concerned about turning into a girl and more about just being wet so often. Wet clothes tended to rub her skin the wrong way and it was just generally uncomfortable. It was annoying how often it seemed to happen too.

The raven haired girl thought amusingly, '_It's better this way anyway. Now I can talk to my red headed friend. She is still Ranma of course, but he seems to be easier to talk to this way. Male Ranma has trouble expressing real feelings due to the panda's warped and backwards ideas about males and their emotions. Girl type Ranma seems to be a lot less inhibited_.'

The youngest Tendo looked at her female companion and patted a seat in the swing next to her as she said, "Come on Ranma and sit next to me. You said you had some things you wanted to talk to me about."

Ranma sighed and wiped some of the water out of her eyes and walked over and took a seat on the swing. She looked over at her raven haired companion and said, "I do have a few things that I wanted to talk to you about, preferably away from eavesdropping older sisters or parents." Akane nodded as Ranma continued, "I wanted to tell you, that if you want, I'll help you with your balance and martial arts. We can run the fences and walls in the morning like you were earlier and I can help you with your forms in the evening."

The youngest Tendo gasped and nearly fell off her swing as her surprise was clearly evident all over her face. Ranma chuckled at the display and smile warmly as she gazed into Akane's brown eyes. A few moments later the raven haired girl recovered and narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she asked guardedly but with optimism still in her voice, "Really Ranma?"

Akane looked thoughtful for a few moments as she mused, '_Does he really mean it? Yesterday we didn't speak to each other at all because he took off. We almost got into a fight just before the wedding when he denied saying he loved me in Jusendo even though I know what I heard. He's being so friendly and finally offering to train me despite my requests over the last year or so. Why now all of a sudden?_'

Ranma nodded and replied, "Really. I spent a lot of time thinking the last two nights and one of the things that finally occurred to me was that in my efforts to protect you and keep you safe I was actually causing you a disservice. I couldn't bring myself to hurt you in order to train you properly but that meant you had to be more dependent upon me and it was hurting your self sufficiency. You are an excellent martial artist in your own right and I had no right to deny you that. I am truly sorry Akane. I should have been helping you from the beginning so that you could better protect yourself and allow you to keep your independence. It was wrong of me to withhold such crucial information from you and I wish to not only atone for my actions, but to correct my mistake as well."

"Thank you Ranma, but what about sparring?", Akane said as she clasped her hands in front of her chest and turned hopeful eyes on her fiancé. The youngest Tendo daughter felt her heart melt in hope and happiness at Ranma's words as she looked into her friend's beautiful blue eyes and saw the sincerity blazing within. Akane considered leaning forward and embracing her friend but thought it might be a little awkward with them sitting in two different swings. The raven haired girl realized with a smirk she would have only succeeded in falling onto the ground and getting muddy no doubt causing her fiancé to laugh at her.

Akane smiled that certain warm smile that always seemed to melt Ranma's heart and the red haired girl found herself becoming lost in the warmth of her friend's chocolate eyes. A cool breeze blew through the two girls and swirled their hair. The pigtailed martial artist wanted to hug her fiancée but wasn't sure if the tomboy would take it well with her being a girl presently. Ranma was not suffering from a horrendous nightmare like she had two evenings before at the moment so the hug might be too awkward especially where they were. The sky opened up on top of them and the two girls shrieked as the rain felt really cold on their skin as it dripped down their backs underneath their shirts.

"I-I don't know about sparring yet Akane. I still don't want to hurt you…", Ranma replied hesitantly as she regarded her fiancée warily.

"Ranma", Akane growled, "I am a martial artist too, when are you going to treat me like one? I'm not a porcelain doll you know."

"I-I know that Akane", Ranma looked down at the ground which was quickly becoming muddy from the rain and said, "I'll try, that's all I can promise."

Akane nodded, knowing it was difficult for him to bring himself to hit her, let alone hurt her. She smiled warmly as she reached out and touched her fiancé's shoulder. Ranma looked up with confusion clearly written all over her face but upon seeing the smile her facial expressions softened and relaxed.

The youngest Tendo said softly, "It's not like I'm asking you to go all out on me in your male form Ranma. I'd rather spar against your girl form and you know how to hold back enough to give me a challenge but you need to hit me. How am I ever going to improve if all you do is dodge? I'll get sloppy and think I don't need to work on defense and when it comes to a real fight I'll be in trouble. Ranma, please help me reach my potential."

Ranma looked into her friend's chocolate eyes and saw the desperation and the pleading within and she found her resolve melting. She knew that her fiancée was right and that she could, no should, help her to improve. Coming to a decision, the red haired girl nodded again.

"I will help you Akane", Ranma said softly, filled with conviction.

Akane stood up and leaned over in order to embrace her sitting currently red haired female fiancé and said, "Thank you Ranma. We should head back and get out of this weather before we catch cold or pneumonia."

"I still had a few more things to talk to you about", Ranma replied sadly, not standing up. Akane broke the hug and stepped back as she looked over her friend carefully.

Akane nodded and replied in a slightly sad tone, "I know, maybe we can finish this at lunch or take a walk in the park after school? If neither of those work we could always sit on the roof tonight but we really should get out of the rain, especially with how hard it's coming down now." Akane held out her hand in order to help the smaller girl out of her swing with the warm smile of hope on her face.

Ranma nodded and knew her fiancée was right. It was early February and between the rain which was cold and the wind which had picked up quite a bit, they would get sick if they stayed out in the elements much longer. It put their talk on hold, but maybe that wouldn't matter as much as she thought it would. The red-head took Akane's offered hand and stood up and the two of them stood next to one another for a few moments before heading out of the park and back home.

Akane and Ranma laughed happily as they held hands running back towards the Tendo estate and they relished the softness of the other as they intertwined their fingers more intimately. The red haired girl noted happily that Akane had no issues holding her hand as a girl although that was probably only because they were alone on the soaking wet and abandoned streets of Nerima. Still, Ranma felt it was progress that Akane wasn't going to shy away from touching his girl half and scream 'pervert' when they were in private.

Ranma looked thoughtful as she and her fiancée ran back towards home. The red haired girl mused, '_I wonder if the other fiancées would be willing to show me any affection as a girl and if I could make that a condition of them even being in contention. Honestly no one but Akane has any real shot with me anyway. I don't feel anything for them except contempt in the cases of Kodachi and Shampoo and disappointment in Ukyo's case. I still can't believe my so-called friend would destroy my mother's house and disrupt my wedding. No real friend would ever do that to someone they considered a friend let alone claimed to love. She's just like Shampoo and Kodachi, I'm nothing more than a prize to be coveted and showed off to the other girls. There is no love there as it's all just a stupid competition to them._'

'_Akane on the other hand has proven already that she can look pass the body. She didn't hesitate to hug me the other night when I was suffering from that horrible nightmare or even to take my hand in hers now as we're running down the street. I wonder how far she would be willing to go with me as a girl and if she would stand by me if I were to become locked again and was stuck permanently. I can't ask her to do that though can I? Would she be willing or even able to marry me this way?_', Ranma wondered and hoped she wouldn't lose Akane if such an event were to occur as it had a couple of times in the past already.

"Is something troubling you Ranma?", Akane asked somewhat worriedly as she wondered why fiancé had been so quiet for their return trip back to the Tendo household. They were just about there when they slowed to a walk and released each other's hands, almost as if their thoughts on being seen by their family holding hands were identical. The two girls really wanted to figure things out for themselves before their family got on their backs again.

Ranma nodded and said, "I was just thinking about the fiancée mess and wondered if an idea I had would actually work. We can't discuss it now though, not with Nabiki and the rest of the family around to eavesdrop." The two teenagers walked through the gates of their home and Akane nodded her head as she thought, '_Nabiki and Kasumi already know I love you, I told them as much yesterday. I still don't want to get married this young though, so keeping the fathers in the dark is a good idea._'

* * *

><p>"First bath is yours Akane if you want it", Ranma said as the two girls stepped up onto the back porch and shivered, glad to be out of the rain finally. The red-head looked over at Akane and admired her generous curves as the drenched clothing had plastered itself to the raven haired girl's form. Akane began wringing out her clothing a little which served to further entice her fiancé and Ranma's smile grew even bigger than it already was.<p>

"Thank you Ranma", Akane said warmly as she blushed seeing Ranma's eyes wander all over her body but never lingering on any one spot for too long. The youngest Tendo smiled inwardly and mused, '_There he goes, checking me out again. He must think I am attractive despite all those uncute comments after all. I think I'll give him a little reward for his forwardness after all I wouldn't want to squash his growing interest in me._'

The raven haired girl used her right fore finger to lightly trace her fiancé's arm as she walked away heading towards the furoba. Ranma shivered slightly at the touch but not because of revulsion. It was the exact opposite actually, as the feather light touch had sent a tingling sensation along Ranma's arm to and up her spine. The red haired girl was still surprised how a little touch of affection affected her but was delighted in the direction their relationship seemed to be heading. They still hadn't had the really serious talk but things seemed to be improving little by little.

"Oh my, you two are soaking wet", Kasumi said as she entered the living room and noticed a drenched Akane walking away from the little red headed girl standing on the porch trying to wring out her clothes while they were still on her person. Ranma had gotten a lot better about the whole feminine modesty thing and wasn't giving people free shows anymore. Akane and Kasumi were glad for that while Nabiki had to use other means to procure girl-Ranma nude photographs.

Ranma nodded and smirked, "My curse went into overdrive this morning and decided to call upon a rainstorm to drown us."

"Baka", Akane muttered to herself, giggling softly as she continued on to the bathroom to take a quick bath.

* * *

><p>A little while later, Akane and a once again male Ranma were heading off to school with apprehension clearly written on their faces. Akane was wearing her standard Furinkan High teal jumper and white blouse combination as Ranma wore one of his favorite red Chinese shirts and black pants combinations. It had stopped raining while they were eating breakfast but the air between the two was still gloomy despite the sunshine. This was their first day of school since the failed wedding and they were bound to be harassed by the vast majority of the student body in one way or another. Akane frowned as she recalled Sayuri saying something about the morning attacks starting up again as no doubt the idiot male population of Furinkan High considered the failed wedding a sign to mean that the engagement was off.<p>

Ranma walked besides his fiancée rather than on the slippery fence which really didn't surprise Akane all that much. After all he wouldn't want to slip and become a girl so soon after changing back. She wondered if he had another reason to walk besides her when she noticed how close their hands were to each other. They looked at one another and then looked away, as if they were both thinking about taking the other's hand into their own and then deciding against it.

"Why aren't you up on the fence Ranma?", Akane asked, not that she wanted him up there but it seemed out of character for the boy not to show off or train every chance he could get.

"I wanted to walk to school with my fiancée. I hope that is alright", Ranma replied as he shrugged nonchalantly.

Akane gave her companion one of her heart melting smiles and slipped her hand into his and intertwined their fingers intimately as she said, "It's more than alright Ranma. I'm glad you are down here with me and not showing off up there."

Ranma chuckled lightly as he enjoyed her warmth and said, "You'll be able to walk the fence in no time Akane and you won't consider it showing off. Actually, considering how you were running on the wall earlier you shouldn't have a problem walking up there now. I would suggest you wait until it's dry though."

Akane smiled as she squeezed his hand again and thought to herself, '_This is nice, the two of us walking along on our way to school holding hands like this. It's almost as if we are a real couple and perhaps after our talk tonight we will be. Please Kami-sama, let our day be relatively peaceful so we don't wind up getting mad at each other and ruining everything like all of those other times before._'

"Akane", Ranma said hesitantly as he stopped walking forward. This of course caused Akane to stop as well and she looked at her fiancé with a questioning stare for a few moments. "I-I was wondering if perhaps we could skip school today and spend the day together instead. I don't think missing one more day would really mean much of anything", Ranma replied with a trace of hope in his shaky voice.

"Ranma Saotome", Akane said shyly as her eyes danced with mischief, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"What? Umm, yes?", Ranma said sheepishly as he turned bright red and looked away.

Akane blushed lightly and the raven haired girl giggled as her brown eyes danced while she reveled in her thoughts, '_He wants me! He doesn't want the slutty bimbo, the boyish chef or the crazy gymnast. He actually wants me? I'm yours Ranma, I've loved you for a long time now even though I couldn't show it. I couldn't allow myself to show it, but perhaps tonight after our talk I will be able to. Please say that you love me and be gentle with my heart of glass._'

"Ranma", Akane said softly as she gently squeezed her fiancé's hand and gazed longingly into his crystal blue eyes, "we missed two weeks already because of China. I can't make you go, not really, but I need to and you should. We'll talk later I promise and I know we have a lot to talk about. This morning was just the tip of the iceberg but I don't think skipping school is the answer."

"One thing I was going to ask you about when we talked for real was how you felt about our engagement, but perhaps now is a good time in order to give you a chance to think about it if you want", Ranma said cautiously.

Akane looked thoughtful for a few moments before she said, "You're right, that is something we should definitely talk about later. I'll get back to you on that alright?"

Ranma nodded, not the least bit surprised she didn't have an answer right away, or at least one she wanted to voice. The two of them continued towards the school again lost in their own thoughts until they came up to the ladle lady's house. Ranma stopped and eyed her carefully, pondering whether to tempt fate or take a detour. Akane giggled and shook her head. They separated their hands and Ranma took to the rooftop in order to avoid getting hit for once by the elderly ninja as Akane continued along the street normally. A block later Ranma hopped down and waited for Akane to catch up where their hands came together again and they smiled at one another.

"You know, the changing I can deal with. It's being a water magnet that really annoys me. I hate being wet all of the time", Ranma said as they walked along swinging their conjoined hands.

Akane nodded in understanding even though she couldn't truly understand what her fiancé had gone through the last two years. She had never been forced to turn into a guy and shuddered in revulsion when she thought of it. She looked up and tried to suppress a groan as they approached the front gates. Dozens of boys in sports equipment and one delusional kendoist milled about inside the school grounds all looking ready to attack a certain someone. The youngest Tendo rolled her eyes and said, "Looks like we get to deal with the Horde again too, lovely."

"Ah hell no, they're going to start this crap again?", Ranma asked, wondering just how stupid the male student body could possibly be but then mused, '_Well, they did look up to Kuno and listen to him when he set up the so-called challenge in the first place. I guess that really does speak volumes about their intelligence._'

"Yuka and Sayuri weren't one hundred percent positive that they would but they said it would be a likely possibility that they would view our failed wedding as a sign that we broke up and our engagement was off", Akane replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice and then thought, '_Damn it, so much for a peaceful day, of course I suppose that was too much to hope for. Maybe we should have skipped after all…_'

Ranma groaned and turned to his female companion and asked, "What do you want to do about this?"

Akane grinned at the pigtailed boy next to her and squeezed his hand gently as she said, "Why don't we get out of Nerima for a little while and spend the day together?"

"Are you sure?", Ranma asked, curious about the tomboy's sudden change of heart, "I thought you didn't want to skip today because we've missed two weeks already lately." A thoughtful look along with a smirk cross his face as he said, "I do believe someone already mentioned this idea not that long ago."

"Baka!", Akane teased as she pointed at the mob gathered just inside the school's gates and said, "_They_ changed my mind. Now that I think about it though, missing one more day won't hurt us and I'm in too good a mood being with you to have _them_ ruin it."

Ranma grinned at the compliment and said, "Alright Akane, where would you like to go and do?"

Akane shrugged and said, "Let's go to the train station and just pick some random place to go to. I don't really care where we go or what we do, I just want us to do it together. Oh wait a minute, I didn't bring any money and you probably didn't either."

Ranma groaned and shook his head as he said, "I didn't know we were skipping today otherwise I would have thought to bring some. Do you think we could go back home real quick? We could claim we forgot something which actually wouldn't be a lie."

"Maybe", Akane said slowly, "Our parents and Kasumi are still there but maybe we can sneak in through my window and get out before they notice. We'd better hurry though or they'll defiantly know we're skipping. At least now if we hurry we'd only be a half hour later to our first class."

Ranma nodded and then said, "I'll carry us back then, it'll be faster if we go over the rooftops." The pigtailed martial artist leaned over and scooped up his fiancée bridal style.

Akane shrieked in surprise as she swatted him playfully on his upper chest and said, "Baka, I'm in a dress!"

"Don't worry Akane, no one will see anything", Ranma said as he grinned and leapt into the air away from the school onto a nearby roof top.

* * *

><p>Still hanging on to his fiancée, the pigtailed martial artist roof hopped along the Nerima skyline heading towards the Tendo estate. Akane tightened her grip and watched in fascinated horror as they flew across alleyways and felt the wind on her back. She marveled at the speed and grace Ranma displayed and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Akane felt safe though and cuddled up against the warmth that she felt radiating out of her fiancé's muscular chest.<p>

"Ranma", Akane said somewhat muffled as her head was buried in his shirt, "When do you think I'll be able to do this?"

"I don't know Akane, but it is definitely something I plan on helping you with", Ranma replied as they landed on the roof above Akane's room. The pigtailed martial artist gently set his fiancée down and gave her his best attempt at a sunny smile. Akane blushed lightly and returned with her own heart melting sunny smile.

"Ok Ranma, you stay out here and I'll be just a few minutes after I change. Don't you dare peak in my window", the raven haired girl said softly with a hint of steel in her voice.

"You're going to change here?", Ranma asked as he rose an eyebrow in alarm, "I thought you'd grab a change of clothes and some money and then get out. We don't want to be caught. Besides, if you leave your uniform here then they'll definitely know if they happened to come into your room."

Akane groaned and shook her head. Why didn't she think of that? The youngest Tendo climbed through her window and quickly emptied her school bag somewhere Kasumi wouldn't find it accidentally and proceeded to stuff in a wallet, a change of casual clothes that wouldn't look too terrible if they were slightly wrinkled and some other minor things.

* * *

><p>The raven haired girl climbed back through her window and the two teenagers headed off for the train station without a care in the world where they were going to go. They just wanted to go there together. They arrived at the station without incident and Akane ducked into the ladies' room in order to shed her Furinkan uniform in favor of a white blouse with blue trim and dark blue pants. She briefly fixed up her short hair and put on a little lip gloss, a touch of blush as well as some light mascara. Smiling at herself in the mirror she sighed and headed back out to meet her fiancé. The youngest Tendo daughter found him leaning up against the wall grinning at her. Akane blushed and looked away for a few moments.<p>

Ranma looked over his fiancée wondering what was different, other than the fact that she was wearing pants instead of a dress. After a few moments he noticed the light touch of makeup and smiled as he said, "You look really nice Akane."

"T-Thank you Ranma", Akane said as she blushed again as she suddenly found the ground interesting to look at.

"Akane", Ranma paused for a second looking slightly uncomfortable but then continued, "I know this might be in bad taste, but I was thinking I could get you some flowers from that man over there. Problem is I don't have any money and I can't very well ask you to loan me some so I can buy you flowers with it. It would be like you were getting them for yourself."

Akane's face lit up as she giggled and said, "Don't worry about that right now Ranma, this isn't our date. You can get me some flowers when we go out tonight for dinner alright?"

Ranma nodded and the two teenagers looked at the schedule board to see where they could go in short order. The sooner they got out of Nerima the better.

Akane found the train information they would need and took care of the fare. A few minutes later they sat down on a bench in order to wait for the train that would eventually take them to Shibuya to show up. The raven haired girl reached out and took Ranma's larger and warm hand into her own and smiled. About twenty minutes later the train they needed arrived and after waiting for people to depart, they found two seats together in the back and sat down never having let go of each other. Akane leaned her head against Ranma's shoulder and the two of them sighed in contentment and chuckled softly. It wasn't the first time, nor would it hopefully not be the last, but the two of them finally looked like a real couple.

"Where are we going Akane?", Ranma asked as he looked out the window at the passing terrain after the train had started moving.

"We are heading for the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. It's in a large park surrounded by a forest. I figured we would take in the history of the place, offer up a prayer or two and walk around the grounds. At some point we can have a picnic with the lunches Kasumi made for us", Akane replied softly as she looked outside at the passing terrain as well.

"That sounds really nice", Ranma said softly and then a thought occurred to him. "Akane, did you say the place was surrounded by a forest?"

"Mhmm", the raven haired girl mumbled into her fiancé's shoulder, wondering why that was important.

"Since you wore pants today", Ranma said quietly, "how would you like to get some tree hopping training in?" The pigtailed boy thought it was odd that Akane wore pants for this trip but was glad she had if she agreed to some training. Perhaps she knew when they were at the house where they would be going and what they could accomplish? He knew, and rightfully so, that she would never agree to jumping practice in a dress and would probably have called him a pervert for suggesting it.

Akane raised her head off the pigtailed boy's shoulder and looked at him carefully, studying his face looking for signs of teasing but finding none. The youngest Tendo still wasn't sure whether to believe Ranma on his promise to train her or not from that morning. She gazed into his beautiful blue eyes and saw only honesty and sincerity blazing within, just like earlier. Akane smiled one of her patented heart melting smiles and nodded as she said, "Thank you Ranma, I would love to."

Ranma smiled and wrapped an arm around his fiancée and squeezed gently as he looked outside the window once again to see that they were approaching their stop. Akane pressed herself against her pigtailed fiancé and enjoyed the warmth that she felt for a few more seconds before the announcer said where they were stopping next. A few minutes later the two teenagers disembarked their current train and had to wait around for awhile in order to catch the next one that would take them to Shibuya.

They sat on a bench in the station for a few minutes holding hands just talking quietly when the train they needed for the second leg of their journey pulled up. As before, they waited for the people getting off to vacate and then found two seats next to each other in the back. Ranma sat next to the window again and wrapped his arm around Akane's shoulders as she slid in next to him.

"Shibuya station, next stop Shibuya", the announcer blared a little while later.

The train pulled up to the Shibuya station and the two teenagers disentangled themselves from one another and made sure they had all of their belongings. They gathered up their two school bags that contained her school uniform and the two bentos. They smiled as they walked off the platform and took in the beautiful day. It sure beat staying indoors all day listening to teachers and dealing with perverts and lunatics. The sun was shining and the temperature was very pleasant for early February. They felt a light breeze swirl around them and there were very few clouds in the sky. It seemed almost impossible that they would get rained on, but they would never tempt fate by saying that out loud with Ranma the water magnet nearby.

The couple walked along the main road holding hands as the pigtailed martial artist looked around. There was a lot of activity on the streets and a large amount of stores offering everything and anything as far as the eye could see. Ranma hoped that Akane hadn't brought them here to do a ton of shopping in addition to visiting the shrine. If they went home with a bunch of bags when they were supposed to be in school a few Tendos along with his parents wouldn't be particularly happy with them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Nabiki looked at the group of girls in front of her and smiled as she said, "Alright, I called each of you yesterday because I wanted to have a meeting but I didn't want to repeat myself a dozen times. I want you all to get the word out that Ucchan's and the Nekohanten are to be boycotted by everyone that you can get to do so. I don't care how you convince them, but make it known that those that do not comply will be on my shit list. No one is to buy or eat anything from Ukyo when she sets up her grill on campus, nor Shampoo if she happens to bring ramen by. Understood?"<p>

The twenty or so girls in front of her all nodded and dispersed. Nabiki smiled evilly and thought, '_Payback is a bitch and so am I. This is my last operation for Furinkan High, this is my legacy. I am going to have fun with this, thank you Akane for suggesting it. I will admit that I was surprised when you came up with this as this is more like something I would do. Maybe we aren't so dissimilar after all._'

Nabiki hummed to herself as she walked towards her classroom when she noticed something strange. It wasn't so strange that the Hentai Horde had reformed in light of the failed wedding but that they were still standing. Either Akane and Ranma hadn't arrived yet or they had somehow snuck inside without facing them. Kuno was hiding behind his tree as usual and the other two dozen boys were milling about with anxious expressions on their clueless faces.

Narrowing her eyes she stormed up to the group of boys and shouted, "You all will never attack my sister ever again, am I clear on this? And you Kuno, how dare you set up that stupid challenge in the first place!"

"But Nabiki…", someone began to protest before receiving a very direct and very painful reminder not to question the middle Tendo. The poor boy in question collapsed with his hands clutching his groin and tears flowing out of his eyes like a waterfall.

"Never again", Nabiki growled and continued, "I will make your lives hell if you cross me on this. You know who I am and I will not tolerate any more attempts to win my sister. She will never choose any of you losers for her heart belongs to Saotome of her own free will." The middle Tendo glared at Kuno with disgust, "Just because they didn't get married on Saturday doesn't mean they don't love each other and won't eventually marry. Your pursuit of her, all of you including you Kuno, is over!"

'_Family comes first_', Nabiki thought heatedly to herself as she stalked away.

* * *

><p>Kasumi hummed to herself as she walked through the market place stopping at every vendor she came across. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone nearby she told them about Ukyo and Shampoo's attack on her family's dojo and the wedding it wrecked between her little sister and her fiancé. Many people had heard about the disturbance but didn't know any of the details. To say they were a little miffed was an understatement and the eldest Tendo found she didn't have to try particularly hard to encourage people to boycott both Ucchan's and the Nekohanten as retribution for ruining her little sister's big day. After she was done shopping and spreading the word, she skipped merrily back home in order to make a few phone calls.<p>

* * *

><p>Nodooka stared at the remains of her house, fists clenched in anger. How dare those girls destroy her house trying to steal a medicine box she wanted to give to Akane. Breaking and Entering, Attempted larceny, destruction of property… The Saotome matriarch stormed off towards the Nerima police department, eager to find out what she could do against the three troublemakers, Shampoo, Kodachi and Ukyo.<p>

"Welcome to the Nerima Police Department Ma'am", a cheery voice said from behind a pane of glass in the reception area.

"Good morning sir", Nodoka said politely, "My name is Nodoka Saotome and I have come wishing to press charges against three high school girls. They broke into my house and attempted to steal a medicine box they thought was an engagement ring that I wanted to give to my future daughter-in-law, Akane Tendo. They ransacked and destroyed my home in their foolishness. Their names are: Kodachi Kuno, Ukyo Kuonji, and Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku. Ukyo can be found either at Furinkan High School or her restaurant, Ucchan's. Shampoo doesn't attend school as far as I know and can be found at the Nekohanten. Kodachi attends St. Bacchus School for Girls. I wish to see them punished for their transgressions against me and my son, Ranma."

The man behind the glass nodded his head thoughtfully and said, "I would like to see them punished as well. I'll see if I can't get a detective out here to take your case. I'll be just a moment."

Nodoka walked over to the chairs lining the wall of the entryway and sat down and waited until her name was called by a short middle aged woman with brown hair and green eyes. The shorter woman regarded the Saotome matriarch carefully and asked, "Nodoka Saotome?"

"Yes?"

"I am Detective Imikara, if you would follow me please."

Nodoka followed the other woman carefully as the two of them stepped into an office.

"Can I get you some tea", the detective asked as she poured herself a cup.

"Yes thank you", Nodoka replied as she took the offered tea and sipped it. She smiled as she thought of Kasumi for a moment as it was one of her favorite blends and as a consequence, the Saotome woman had had many cups of it in her stay at the Tendo estate.

"Alright, I understand you wish to press charges against three minors, is that correct?", Detective Imikara said as she knit her fingers together in front of her on the desk.

"Yes I would", Nodoka replied as she proceeded to explain everything she had to the deputy at the counter but in more detail. She described that all three girls were high powered martial artists and considerably dangerous. If they weren't enough, there was also the Amazon mummy and Nodoka described Cologne to the detective as well.

Detective Imikara frowned as she listened to the auburn haired woman describe the abilities of the delinquents she wanted to arrest and pondered at the real possibility of doing so. Apprehending Ukyo and Kodachi would be difficult if they didn't submit to police authority but the Amazons, oh goodness what a mess that would be. Not only were they more powerful, but it seemed as though they were illegal aliens as well which would require a higher agency to deal with. Still, perhaps they would be able to get the Japanese military involved since they were so dangerous but that might lead to a firefight and too many innocents getting caught in the crossfire.

"There was one other thing I would like to ask of you, your department and anyone that you can get to do so", Nodoka said calmly, "If you would please boycott the Nekohanten and Ucchan's it would greatly help the Tendo sisters out. They want retribution for Ukyo and Shampoo's attack on the their family dojo when they disrupted the wedding on Saturday. I'm sure one of them will be by today wanting to press charges of destruction of property on them as well."

"I see. I'll take that case too then since it's interrelated to yours", the detective smiled, "As for your request to boycott their restaurants I will spread the word about that this afternoon at our staff meeting."

"Thank you Detective", Nodoka said warmly, "You have been most helpful."

"I don't know what we'll be able to do about the girls. Don't worry about them being charged as children, they won't be", Detective Imikara said with steel in her voice, "They are old enough to know full well what they were doing and didn't seem to care about the damage they caused or the people they might have hurt. I will do what I can to bring them down, you have my word."

"Thank you"

"Good day, Mrs. Saotome. We'll let you know how it goes", the detective said as she accompanied the taller woman back to the reception area.

Nodoka left the police station feeling better. She didn't know if they could really do anything against the meddlesome brats that wrecked her house or her son's wedding, but she felt better for trying. If nothing else the boycott might be that much more effective as it didn't encompass the students at school or the people in the marketplace where the Tendo daughter's had sown their seeds.

* * *

><p>A little while later Akane and Ranma arrived at the shrine and took in the scenery. Surrounding the park that surrounded the shrine was a forest which should be perfect for tree hopping training. The park itself offered plenty of chances for a picnic and a pleasant walk and then there was the shrine itself that offered a look into Japanese history. The two teenagers smiled as they could at least tell their families they didn't blow off school entirely as they would learn something at least, not that they would see it that way.<p>

"Alright Akane, what would you like to do first?", Ranma asked as he indicated the shrine, park and the forest for the different activities they could partake in over the next five hours or so.

"Well, it's a little early for lunch", Akane replied thoughtfully and then continued with a smile on her face, "Why don't we take in the history of the place first, then we can train for awhile. After that we can take a break and eat lunch and then walk around the park some in order to let our food settle. We could train some more after that assuming we have any strength left in our legs by then until we need to head back."

Ranma contemplated his fiancée's plan and nodded his head with a smile on his face. It sounded like a good idea. After they finished with the Shibuya activities they would head on home as if they had been at school the entire time. No one in the family was honestly going to be fooled though. Nabiki would be sure to mention that they weren't there and it was possible Yuka, Sayuri, Ukyo or who knows who else would call or stop by and inquire why the two teenagers weren't at school all day.

Akane held out her hand towards her male companion and Ranma smiled as his hand slid seamlessly into her smaller hand. The two teenagers looked at one another for a long moment gazing into one another's eyes before heading off towards the shrine hand in hand. Once inside the Meiji Shrine the two teenagers separated and went to look at the displays that were of interest to them.

Akane walked over towards the wishing wall and pondered for a few moments what she wanted to wish for. She smiled and thought of the perfect thing but paused, wondering if it was too selfish. Certainly the other person's feelings about the matter would be important. The youngest Tendo then thought of another way to word her wish and transcribed it, signed it and hung it on the wall along with thousands of others. Akane hoped her wish would come true, but only time would tell.

Ranma walked in a few moments later with a frown on her face. Apparently the cursed boy had run afoul of some water and Akane couldn't help but laugh as a secret smile spread across her face as she thought, '_My red-head is back, yatta!_'

"I can't take you anywhere without getting wet can I Ranma?", Akane teased her companion as the red haired girl walked up to her.

"It was the weirdest thing Akane. The water fountain exploded just as I was trying to get a drink", Ranma replied, shaking her head slowly in bewilderment. Why did this sort of thing always happen to her? The pigtailed martial artist seemed to be having more and more water accidents lately with each passing day. Was her curse trying to tell her something? If she embraced it more and was a girl for a few hours every day would the number of water magnet accidents decrease or was it really all coincidence?

"Only you Ranma", the youngest Tendo said as she laid a hand on Ranma's arm trying to encourage the shorter girl to see some humor in her situation. "Oh, Ranma, if you want to make a wish you can fill out one of these and hang it on the wall."

"Hmm, what should I wish for? Oh I know, how about a cure for this stupid curse?", Ranma asked and watched as her fiancée's facial expression change from a laughing and happy one to a sad pout that made her face look really cute. Was it possible Akane not only did not mind her curse but would be depressed to see her cured? Would she really miss her red-head's form? Would Ranma herself miss having a girl side? She didn't know the answers to any of these questions and doubted the wishing wall would grant such a wish anyway. The Saotome heiress stood there for a few moments thinking what she could wish for that had a reasonable chance of being granted and then nodded her head as she thought of something. Ranma wrote it down, signed it and hung it on the wall in a random place since she had no idea where Akane had placed hers.

The two girls walked away from the wishing wall in silence as they were lost in their own thoughts. Ranma scowled in irritation as the 'pre-date' they were supposed to be on was now a girl-girl outing. The red haired girl doubted her fiancée would show her much if any affection like she had earlier. Ranma had enjoyed the proximity and the hand holding but with so many people around she doubted Akane would 'out' herself since to the world at large they were a pair of girls.

Akane's thoughts were similar to Ranma's. While she was delighted to see her red haired friend it also meant that she couldn't really show Ranma much affection unless she wanted to be labeled as a lesbian. Due to Ranma's alternative state her own sexuality was somewhat blurred. She wasn't like Kodachi where she loved the male form and hated the female form. To her he/she was the same person, the body didn't matter as much as the soul inside. If that made her a closet bi-sexual, so be it. Actually, she was already a closet bi-sexual when she thought about it. She had kissed Ranma's girl form the evening before and loved every second of it. Those lips were so soft, so tender… Akane found herself wanting to grab her red haired fiancé and kiss her right then and there but knew she couldn't. Perhaps they could in the forest…

"Are you going to change back", Akane asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice, "We could get a cup of hot water from the bathroom easily enough."

"I don't know", Ranma replied and shrugged as she undid her pigtail and let her hair fall down her back. "Being a girl doesn't really bother me all that much anymore. I don't have to be Ranma Saotome, man amongst men when I am like this and it's rather liberating actually."

Akane gave Ranma one of her brightest and sunniest smiles she could and thought happily, '_My wish is coming true after all._'

Ranma noted the change in her fiancée's attitude and thought to herself, '_Hmm, I guess she really does like me as a girl better. In the beginning that certainly made sense because of the Hentai Horde but why now? Could it be she's never really been interested in guys? Is she truly a lesbian? What about the crush she had on Dr. Tofu or was that all a lie to deflect her non-traditional sexual orientation? Not that I can really say anything about that, I'm a boy and a girl but I only like girls. So I'm both straight and gay myself. Huh, when did I start thinking of myself as a girl?_'

"Ranma?", Akane gently pulled on the sleeve of her red haired friend's Chinese shirt, "We should continue with the tour before it gets too late to finish everything we can do here."

"Huh? Oh, right", Ranma replied and the two of them headed towards the Ceremonial room that housed a sizable collection of murals of the Emperor and his wife that the shrine was dedicated to. The two girls wandered around looking at the different murals and smiled at one another as they took in the different colors and shapes. Ranma could appreciate the time and effort the artists put in their work as she looked at the complex brush strokes and the blending of the colors. Just like her own art, each stroke was deliberate and had a purpose. The red haired girl looked over at her companion and saw in her brown eyes the same captivation and Ranma was pretty sure that the raven haired girl understood as she did.

"Aren't these fantastic?", Akane asked as she watched Ranma's growing fascination.

"They are", Ranma said, almost reverently.

The two girls stayed in the room for a good hour looking at the hundred something murals that filled the Ceremonial room when they decided they had had enough of looking at other people's art and decided it was time to practice their own.

* * *

><p>Akane lead her red haired companion into the forested area of the park and the two of them looked at the trees. Ranma scratched her chin as she looked around and sighed. Akane saw what she was looking for and hung her head as she sighed. None of the trees had branches remotely close enough to the ground to work on tree hopping.<p>

"Damn", Akane said softly as Ranma nodded her agreement. "Ranma, can we go on a training trip this coming weekend? There are bound to be trees outside of Tokyo that would be suitable."

Ranma nodded and said, "Yeah, let's leave Friday afternoon right after school. We should be able to reach a suitable camp site before dark and then we can train all day Saturday and Sunday morning before coming back. In the meantime we can still work on things this week in your dojo and around Nerima. One other thing Akane, I want to teach you how to swim."

Akane gasped and stepped backwards in fear, "No…"

Ranma sighed and gently took her companion's hand into her own and pulled her into a hug as she said gently, "I won't let anything happen to you I promise. Not being able to swim is a huge weakness and I want to help you overcome that, please. I don't want to have to worry that you'll drown in a silly little pool of water like you nearly did in China."

Akane felt herself melting into her fiancé's embrace and began to calm down at her soothing words. The raven haired girl felt herself getting slightly aroused because Ranma's breasts were pushing against her own. She tried to push that thought aside for the moment and only partially succeeded. The youngest Tendo enjoyed the hug and how it soothed her apprehension about drowning. The two girls stayed in that position for a few more moments before Akane reluctantly broke of the embrace and said, "Thank you Ranma."

The red haired girl frowned slightly at the loss of contact but knew she was right. What would other people say if they saw two girls hugging one another intimately as they had been doing? Then again, why should they care what other people thought? Ranma couldn't completely convince herself of that second argument though and decided discretion was probably better.

The two girls wandered around the forest wondering if they would encounter any trees they could use for tree hopping practice for the next half hour or so until Ranma's stomach started protesting it's emptiness. Akane giggled at the sound and Ranma joined in a few seconds later.

"I guess someone is hungry", Akane teased as she grabbed her companion's hand and dragged her over towards the picnic tables in park section of the shrine's grounds.

* * *

><p>They sat down on opposite sides of the table so they could face one another while they ate. The girls pulled out their bentos that Kasumi had made for them earlier that day and broke apart their chop sticks. The two girls looked at one another and said simultaneously, "Itadakimasu."<p>

"Ranma", Akane said slowly as she picked up a piece of cucumber wrapped in seaweed, "We should really have our serious talk now. There is no one nearby and nobody knows us here anyway. You said Saturday night that you really wanted to talk to me when you were talking to your mother. Isn't it time we had our honest heart to heart talk where we can clear up any confusion that remains between us?"

The red haired girl panicked for a few moments before nodding slowly. She finished chewing a bit of eel and some rice and said after swallowing, "I don't know if I should talk to you like this though, as a girl."

"You're stalling Ranma", Akane said teasingly and flashed her companion a brilliant smile. "In the past anytime you were going to talk about your feelings you always changed into a girl claiming it was easier. Well, you're already a girl so you don't have that excuse this time."

"I know", Ranma admitted and sighed. She put another bite of rice into her mouth to delay things even more as Akane just sighed and rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Kami-sama this is hard…"

"What's so hard Ranma?", Akane asked in genuine concern and reached out to take the smaller girl's hand into her own and squeezed gently.

"You know how I am with feelings", Ranma replied hesitantly as she looked down at her lunch, "Most of the time it seems like I say the opposite of what I mean and you get mad at me. If I am within range you tend to try to hit me with something and we just wind up fighting all the time. I really don't want to go through that anymore."

"Ranma", Akane said softly, "Since our failed wedding how many times have I gotten mad at you, yelled or tried to hit you?"

"None that I can think of, but then we didn't speak to each other at all yesterday", Ranma replied and paused for a moment, "Since the failed wedding other than today we've only spoken when I had that nightmare."

"Okay", the raven haired girl said slowly, "We've been together all day today and have we fought at all?"

"No", Ranma replied as her eyes sparkled a little in the sunlight.

"Ranma", Akane said gently as she squeezed her fiancé's hand again, "Believe it or not but I am sick of fighting with you. I don't want to yell at you or hit you anymore. I want us to get along like we are now, like I know we can for the rest of our lives together however long that is. Of course we'll do something to make the other mad, it's impossible to live with someone and not get angry at them once in awhile. Promise me though that when we fight that we talk it out and come to an understanding before it is allowed to fester and destroy everything we have worked so hard to create."

"I promise", Ranma replied and brought her other hand to rest on top of the two hands that were already holding one another. "Wait, does that mean that you want to marry me after all? You said 'for the rest of our lives together'"

The youngest Tendo's cheeks turned bright red as she looked down at her own food and hissed quietly, "Not so loud Ranma. We're both girls at the moment remember?" Ranma turned bright red herself as she hastily released her raven haired companion's hands and went back to eating her lunch.

Akane frowned at the loss of contact but continued speaking anyway, "I did say that didn't I? I also said 'for the rest of our lives together however long that is' meaning until one of us leaves. If you moved out tomorrow that would end our lives together wouldn't it?"

"Akane…", Ranma said exasperatedly while she rolled her eyes, "Now you are just splitting hairs. I think you know what you meant as I do and it wasn't that."

"Ranma", Akane said pleadingly as she stared into her companion's blue eyes and her voiced softened, "Please, just tell me how you really feel about me. No more evasiveness, no more lies or half truths. Do you, Ranma Saotome, love me with all of your heart and soul? Do you want to marry me some day in the future?"

The red haired girl gulped, trying desperately to swallow the lump that had somehow found its way into her throat. Akane was right, the time for half measures was over and the truth needed to be said. A simple nod would not suffice for such a serious question. She owed it to her, after everything the two of them had been through together, she knew she owed Akane the truth. The damning truth but at the same time completely liberating. Ranma had known for a long time how she really felt on some level about her cute, sexy and wonderful tomboy. Akane possessed a smile that had completely melted her heart that very first day and every time since when it rarely appeared.

Ranma smiled warmly and in a voice thick with emotion, the red haired girl said, "I-I love you Akane. I-I have for the longest time now, I just couldn't admit it to myself, let alone you."

The Saotome heiress looked down at the remains of her lunch in the silence that followed and wondered if this was what hell was like. She had just confessed to the one person other than her mother that truly mattered to her and all she received was silence. Suddenly Ranma sensed a presence next to her instead of in front as a pair of arms snaked around her back and across her chest. The red haired girl felt a female body pressing against her side and Ranma felt an interesting sensation stir within her body.

Ranma turned to her right and the arm that was draped across her chest shifted as Akane hugged the smaller girl in a lover's embrace as opposed to a friendly hug or an embrace meant to comfort someone from a debilitating nightmare. The red haired girl felt Akane's breasts rubbing against her own and that interesting sensation sparked into an internal fire. Ranma found herself enjoying the feeling and wondered what other interesting things she was in store for.

The raven haired girl smiled brilliantly at her red haired friend and said softly, "I love you too Ranma."

Akane cupped her companion's face in her hands, not caring one bit who was around or who might be watching. She gently stroked Ranma's soft cheeks with her hands as she kissed her red haired girlfriend passionately. What began as a soft and chaste kiss quickly grew in intensity that overpowered anything she had felt the previous night when their kiss had been one sided. Their lips seared together and the two girls felt a tremendous warmth spring from their inner selves that ignited a fire within them they had never felt before. Their Kis intertwined with one another as they basked in each other's love and they felt connected to one another in both spirit and body. They moaned appreciably as their passion and repressed sexual tension exploded out of them, creating an aura that enveloped them in a fiery cocoon that blocked out the outside world.

The blinding aura was composed of three colors in a layering effect. The core seemed to burn from their hearts and gently outlined their bodies so it looked like they were wreathed in white hot fire. The outer layer was bright red and resembled a crackling flame as it wavered back and forth like fire in a slight breeze. The middle layer blended prettily the white hot core with bright red and took on a pinkish hue from the inner most layer to the outer corona. The aura was so bright that no one that was looking at them could really tell what was going on inside unless they had been watching previously.

Akane and Ranma kissed each other nearly senseless, losing all track of time as they were literally wrapped in a Ki manifestation of their love and passion for one another.

"Wow….", Ranma moaned out weakly after they had broken their kiss for a second as she looked into her raven haired tomboy's misting brown eyes. The red-head could scarcely believe what she had just experience and looked at her girlfriend with dazed eyes.

"Wow…", Akane said as she exhaled breathlessly and looked into her red haired girlfriend's shimmering blue eyes. Like Ranma, the tomboy couldn't believe what the two of them had done or how good it had felt. She noted in amusement her red-head's glazed eyes and figured she looked the same way.

The aura that surrounded them, blocking view of their activities began to fade and Akane scrambled away from Ranma. She wasn't fooling anyone though, it was rather obvious what had been going on even if some of the people hadn't been able to see it. Akane sat down across from her girlfriend and started eating her lunch again, though her hands were so shaky she found it difficult to hold her chopsticks properly.

Ranma giggled slightly at the sight but then found herself with the same problem and Akane laughed at her in return.

"We just entered a whole new phase of our relationship, didn't we?", Ranma asked, still weakened from their Ki-kissing. "Not just because we confessed to one another finally, but because we did it as girls. This may sound silly to ask now, but how do you feel about my girl side?"

Akane burst out laughing and wiped a tear from her eyes as she said, "Yeah, I think that is a rather silly question considering what we just did, but I'll answer anyway. I love you Ranma, what body you are wearing doesn't matter to me. I've never known you without your curse so to me, you've always been a boy and a girl. However, and please don't take this the wrong way, I do like your girl side better. I know it's selfish of me because you're a guy, but honestly I hope you never get cured. I would rather be with your girl half and I would miss it too much if you got rid of it."

Ranma nodded her head slowly, "I thought that was the case when I saw that look of disappointment cross your face before at the wishing wall. I mentioned something about wishing for a cure and you looked heartbroken. I guess I can lay one of my fears to rest though in light of this revelation."

"Oh?", Akane said gently as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "What fear was that?"

"I was afraid you would leave me if I ever became locked again", Ranma replied softly as she looked away, a tear finally falling from her eyes. The red haired girl's tear was not born of depression however, but overwhelming love and happiness that Akane had confessed that she loved her. The raven haired girl had not only said it, she had proven it with that fiery kiss they had shared earlier. Ranma's mind boggled at the implications and she was almost beyond deliriously happy for once in her normally miserable and chaotic life.

"Baka", Akane teased, "Even if I didn't love your girl side I would never leave you because of that. I would stand by your side like I have through everything else we've been through and help you find a way to unlock it. Haven't you learned that by now? I'm not going anywhere Ranma, not without you."

"I love you Akane", Ranma replied as she reached out to take her girlfriend's hand in her own again.

"I love you too Ranma", Akane replied as she squeezed her companion's hand gently.

The two girls stared at one another for a few minutes weighing everything that had happened that day and couldn't keep the smiles off of their faces. The day had gone better than either one of them could have hoped for. Akane replayed the day in her mind and she found herself getting excited about their future. Not only had Ranma promised to train her, but they had gotten away from all of the harassment and irritants of school. They had enjoyed their time taking in the shrine's artwork but the best part of course had just happened, when they had confessed their love for one another finally. Her growing fears of being rejected and abandoned by Ranma because he chose one of the other girls or left entirely were laid to rest. If this wasn't the definition of a perfect day, she didn't know what was except perhaps the day they got married for real, not to mention the wedding night…

'_Bask in the warmth of your love, my daughter…_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _

* * *

><p><em><span>Akane's current aura color combinations:<span> _

_Ki-cocoon: White, Pink, Red - Confidence, Love, Passion _

_Fl__aming Battle Aura: Dark Red, Black - Anger, Hate_


	4. Secrets and Curses oh my!

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter Three

_Secrets and Curses oh my!_

.

.

Ranma and Akane finished lunch and gazed lovingly at one another for awhile. They never noticed how much of a spectacle they had caused with their fiery Ki-cocoon that had announced to everyone that something weird was happening. The two girls never noticed the gawking stares of men and women alike as they watched in fascinated horror while the two of them kissed in public. They never had eyes for anyone or anything except each other in the fiercest minutes of passionate kissing the world had ever seen.

Akane knew they should both feel ashamed for their very public display of affection but she couldn't bring herself to care. The other people didn't matter, not really. What mattered was that she and Ranma had confessed to one another and they would forever be bound to one another from that point on. Their Ki-kiss and the merging of their souls had seen to that and nothing would ever come between them again, or so she hoped.

The two girls looked at one another and nodded, deciding they would try to restrain themselves from making a further spectacle of themselves. The couple walked along the path in the park that was part of the shrine's lands. They talked idly for awhile and let their hands drift close to one another but they resisted intertwining their fingers.

"Ranma", Akane said softly, "We're going to have to be very careful when we go back to Nerima. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to broadcast our relationship throughout the ward the second we get back."

The Saotome heiress nodded and said, "I agree. The last thing we need is our fathers trying to throw us another wedding or those annoying little girls attacking us." Akane raised an eyebrow at the idea of her companion, of all people, calling someone else little and giggled quietly.

Ranma paused in confusion at her girlfriend's giggling and looked at Akane with a blank look on her face. The raven haired girl just waved off her laughter and motioned for her companion to continue. Ranma nodded slowly in bewilderment and continued, "I would really rather we got married on our own terms and after our junior year was finished anyway. I'd say senior year except I don't know if I can honestly wait that long."

Akane nodded and said, "I know what you mean. Now that we have finally told ourselves and each other the truth we have known for awhile, I don't really want to wait anymore. What if something happens and we can't get married in a year?"

"Hmm…", Ranma said quietly, "do we really want to jump into things so quickly though? Right now we're both a little delirious from that awesome kiss we shared earlier. We really don't know how we'll be together as we've never really been out on a date. We should revisit this when we are thinking a little clearer."

"We'll be fine as long as you don't insult me", Akane replied in a teasing tone with a brilliant smile on her face. The youngest Tendo slipped her hand and intertwined their fingers, strangers be damned. The raven haired girl was far too happy finally being with Ranma to allow a little thing like society's views on mild public displays of affection stop her from showing her girlfriend some affection. No one would pay them any attention at all if Ranma was male. Akane just didn't care anymore what society thought about the fact that she was in love with a girl that turned into a guy with hot water.

"What, you didn't like it when I called you an uncute, flat chested, dumb, macho chick with thighs that were too think and that was so unsexy she would never catch herself a husband?", Ranma replied teasingly as she leapt out of the way of her companion's half hearted punch.

"Not particularly no", Akane replied with a grin on her face as she gently squeezed her girlfriend's hand. The youngest Tendo looked around briefly and saw that no one was paying any attention to them and smirked as an idea popped into her head. Akane's warm brown eyes glinted mischievously as she took the hand she had captured and placed it on her breasts and said silkily, "Do I feel flat chested to you?"

"U-um, n-no", Ranma stuttered and blushed beat red as she tried to remove her hand from her companion's chest. Akane smirked and released the red-head's hand and watched how quickly it went back to her side. The raven haired girl giggled as the two of them walked along, her face turning pink when she actually thought about what she had just done and smiled.

After a few minutes of silence, Ranma finally felt like she would be able to talk normally again and her blush had faded. She looked over at her companion and asked nervously, "Who do you plan to tell about us? I'd just assume keep it between us as long as possible but I have a feeling you're going to want to tell your friends if no one else."

Akane looked thoughtful for a moment and stopped walking, which caused Ranma to stop as well and replied, "You're right, I would like to tell Yuka and Sayuri, they already know how I feel about you. They have been trying to encourage me to get together with you for awhile now. I told Kasumi and Nabiki that I loved you last night when we were talking about the failed wedding."

Ranma gasped in shock and horror as the blood drained out of her face. In a voice louder and shriller than planned, the red haired girl asked incredulously, "You told _Nabiki_? How could you? Might as well have told the fathers and the rest of Nerima for how long that'll stay a secret."

"Ranma", Akane said quietly in surprise as she looked at her companion in concern, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong… What's wrong?!", Ranma asked in an even louder voice, "How could you tell Nabiki of all people? You know how she is. If she's willing to sell pictures of us to the Nerima lunatics, what do you think she'll do with this information? We'll be lucky if Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi don't try to kill you and drug me", Ranma felt her knees give out and she collapsed onto the ground and began to hyperventilate.

Akane knelt down and folded her girlfriend in her arms and said softly as she rubbed the girl's back, "No she won't, I promise. My sisters and I have a plan in motion that will help all of us. Nabiki isn't going to sell us out anymore. In fact she is going to try to defend us from now on. Trust me Ranma, telling Nabiki is a good thing."

Ranma looked up and into her tomboy's warm brown eyes as she sighed heavily and nodded. She did trust Akane completely and wholeheartedly. If the raven haired girl thought telling Nabiki wouldn't be a catastrophe then she would go along with it. The Saotome heiress was very wary of the middle Tendo sister, but decided she would trust that her girlfriend knew what she was doing.

The youngest Tendo felt her companion relax and smiled as she said, "Are you alright now Ranma?"

"I think so", the red haired girl replied slowly, "I'm still worried about everyone knowing about us but I trust you."

Akane smiled warmly as she said slyly, "Well, the fathers don't know. I told your mother that I would be willing to marry you after high school if we loved one another, not for family honor or because our fathers made an agreement twenty years ago. I think we can count on Kasumi, Nabiki and your mother keeping our fathers under control. We shouldn't have to hide our relationship at home at least. I agree with you though that in Nerima we should just act like friends, at least until we get your bothersome fan club taken care of."

"People are going to notice we're getting along a lot better if we don't argue and fight", Ranma said thoughtfully as she pulled back from the hug they were sharing. "I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean we're an item though. Maybe they'll think we found a way to be friends but still don't want to be engaged to one another. I don't know…"

"You're over thinking things Ranma", Akane replied softly as she stopped herself from saying something sarcastic and continued, "Let's just take things one day at a time and we'll deal with them together."

* * *

><p>A half hour so later, Akane ducked into the ladies room and changed back into her Furinkan High uniform. Ranma acquired some hot water and finally restored his male body, wondering for a moment why he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. It was almost as if he was really a girl and the male body was her cursed form. He shook his head in order to clear it of that weird thought and sighed. The black haired boy stared at himself in the mirror and remembered how he used to wear his hair in a ponytail, rather than the pigtail before the dragon whisker incident. The hair growth curse was gone now so there was no longer a reason to braid it anymore. The former pigtailed martial artist smiled and tied off his hair in a ponytail and walked back out of the bathroom in order to meet his girlfriend.<p>

Akane looked at her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow and smiled as she asked, "No more pigtail?"

"The dragon whisker curse is gone", Ranma replied, "I don't have to worry about running out of hair now and can wear my hair any way that I like."

"That's good", Akane said as she flashed him a smile, "I never particularly liked that pigtail for either of your forms anyway. It looked hideous and I know I won't miss it. I imagine you won't miss the work putting it up like that either."

"Nope", Ranma grinned as the two of them took hold of the other one's hand and they headed for the train station in order to return to Nerima before school let out for the day. They both knew they weren't going to fool anyone but they had to at least try to get away with it. After all, despite everything they had been through together, they were still teenagers.

* * *

><p>Awhile later, the final bell rang and Nabiki sighed in relief that she was free of the madhouse that was Furinkan High. Kuno had been bothering her all day about his pigtailed goddess and the beauteous Akane. He kept asking where they were or if the wretched cur Saotome had taken them hostage somewhere. The middle Tendo found it odd that she hadn't seen her sister or Ranma all day and decided to see if she could get some answers from Akane's friends.<p>

"Yuka! Sayuri!", Nabiki shouted as she walked out of the school's main building after spotting them near the gate. The two girls turned and frowned, not liking that the mercenary Tendo apparently wanted to talk to them.

"Yes?", Sayuri said in as neutral tone as she could, considering her distain for the girl kept in check by her fear.

"Relax Sayuri", Nabiki cooed, "I just wanted to ask you two if you've seen Akane or Ranma at all today. They were eating breakfast when I left this morning but I haven't seen them since."

Sayuri and Yuka noticeably relaxed and yet tensed up at the news that their friend and the shape-shifter were missing. They looked back and forth between each other and the middle Tendo and Yuka replied, "Sorry Nabiki, we haven't seen them all day either. They didn't go back to China or something did they?"

"Not that I know of", Nabiki said with a grin, "Doubt Ranma has that kind of money laying around. I would have found it by now. Well thank you girls for your help."

"Was that really Nabiki?", Yuka whispered to Sayuri once the middle Tendo was down the road a ways.

Sayuri shrugged and said, "Who knows with the craziness that family gets caught up in along with the Saotomes. She did seem nicer and more concerned than I've ever seen her before though."

"Don't forget about that thing this morning", Yuka reminded her friend, "She told the Hentai Horde her sister was off limits and even kicked that one pervert in the groin when he interrupted her."

"I wonder how much that hurts?", Sayuri said with an evil chuckle as she envisioned herself kicking some pervert in that location when he bothered her.

"I suppose you could always get some Nannīchuan water and find out for yourself", Yuka replied sarcastically.

Sayuri wrinkled her nose at the image as she shuddered and said, "I'll pass on that thanks. I like being a girl and I think I would hate to be a guy."

"Yeah", Yuka agreed and the two of them sighed before heading home.

* * *

><p>Ranma and Akane stepped off the train and shook their heads exasperation and sighed. They didn't want to be back in the Nerima ward with all of the lunatics that wanted to court either one of them. It had been really nice to get away for a few hours but now that they were back they figured they would need to keep their physical displays of affection to a minimum. Even if they weren't hounded by fiancées and suitors they weren't really the shameless type that would openly display their affections with other people around. That afternoon had been an anomaly because they were just so happy having declared their love for one another that they didn't care about their normal inhibitions. It wasn't like they were around people they would ever see again anyway. The two teenagers looked at the clock and realized that school was just about to let out for the day.<p>

"You know Akane", Ranma said with a smirk on his face, 'I'm tempted to leave Nerima forever assuming you would come with me. It was so liberating not having to worry about anything weird happening earlier. It would really be nice if that was the norm instead of a rare event."

"I know Ranma", the raven haired girl said as she sighed heavily, "but I just can't abandon my family and friends here. Could you? We should really finish high school as well."

"We could go to school somewhere else, but you're right", the black haired boy replied. "There is also the fact that neither one of us has a lot of money. We would have to get jobs and find a place to live."

"Maybe we should get part time jobs anyway", Akane replied, "I know I wouldn't mind having some extra spending money. We have some time before dinner, why don't we do that right now?"

Ranma nodded and the two of them walked away from the train station and headed down the main road that would lead them to the commercial district. On their way there, Akane decided she didn't care if someone saw them holding hands and raven haired girl slipped her hand into Ranma's larger one and intertwined their fingers. The black haired boy smiled and relished the softness of his girlfriend's hand in his own. The two teenagers wandered around for awhile and inquired about employment opportunities at the various businesses they came across.

"You know Ranma", Akane said as they walked along, "I don't know if we should work together or not. I mean we live in the same house and have most of the same classes together already. I'm just afraid we might get sick of one another even if we are getting along a lot better now."

Ranma nodded his head and said, "Maybe. It would allow us to work someplace that interests us too. For instance you might like to work in a library whereas I probably wouldn't, unless of course I could get paid to read magnas."

Akane smiled softly as the two of them walked by an advertisement posted on a telephone pole. They walked over to see what it was for thinking maybe it would be something interesting. After reading a few sentences they looked at one another with a grimace on their faces and said simultaneously, "No way."

The two teenagers laughed and shook their heads as they walked away still hand in hand. The sign in question had been an advertisement for the Nekohanten. Cologne and company were apparently looking for another waitress or two as well as a dishwasher to ease the burden due to their increased volume of business.

Akane frowned in distaste as she thought, '_I hope they enjoy the boycott assuming it's effective. I am so sick of them and wish they would just go back to China where they belong. Maybe the lawsuit will help with that._'

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kasumi hummed to herself as she walked towards the market district in order to get what she would need for dinner that evening. It would seem she would buy enough stuff so she'd only have to go to the market once a week or so. Truth be told though, she enjoyed the walk and being away from the house for awhile. She was able to talk to the different vendors and shoppers and it was a way for her to stay connected with a world she rarely saw otherwise.<p>

As she went from stall to stall, the eldest Tendo daughter sighed as she thought about her dreams from ages past. She had wanted to go to the university and become a doctor so she could help those that needed it. When she was in high school, not that long ago really, she had the nickname of Doctor Tendo because she would fix up anyone that looked like they were injured. Even though Ranma, Kuno and the other lunatics weren't there yet, people still got hurt doing regular sports and things so she was there and liked helping them out.

Kasumi was actually quite smart and knew that she could catch up in short order if she gave herself a chance. It was one reason why she had borrowed so many books from Doctor Tofu so that she could maintain her studies without the benefit of a classroom and homework. The eldest daughter giggled slightly when she realized she had more trauma experience than a lot of second year nurses with how often the Saotome males and the others around Nerima got hurt.

The brown haired woman paused for a second when she pictured the goofy doctor dancing around with his skeleton he had named Betty. She shook her head at the man's eccentricities and tried to push him out of her mind. The young doctor left months ago and had never really shown any interest in her so why should she care? She did care though and wished she could see him again if nothing else to get an explanation of why he acted like such a clown.

All she would need is some help and understanding from her family and she could go to university during the fall term. Kasumi hoped they would let her out of the live in maid shell of her real self and not put up too much of a fuss. She loved her family dearly, but she really needed to get out and do something for herself. Nabiki would be moving out next term as she too would be starting university. She wondered if Genma and Nodoka would return home once their house was rebuilt. If so that would leave just Ranma, Akane and Soun living at the Tendo estate and since the two youngsters weren't married, that would be highly inappropriate. She also feared that without herself or Nodoka there that they might have trouble feeding themselves.

Kasumi stopped walking and berated herself heatedly, '_No no no! They are adults or will be soon enough and they can fend for themselves. It's pass time for them to learn how to take care of themselves. I need to do this for me! I have put my dreams on hold for long enough._'

The eldest daughter sighed, wondering when she would talk to her family about her wishes. There really wasn't a reason to delay any longer if she really wanted to break free and move on with her life. Kasumi sighed as she carried in a couple of bags of groceries and set them on the counter in the kitchen. The eldest Tendo daughter put a kettle on one of the burners so she could make some tea for herself while she put the groceries away.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma walked into the Tendo estate and released one another's hand. It just wouldn't do for <em>them <em>to know about their relationship yet. Even though her father had said they wouldn't try to throw another wedding until after the other fiancées were dealt with, Akane wasn't sure she could trust them. Generally, the less the two fathers knew the better for just about everyone.

"We're home", the two youngest teenagers called out as they took off their shoes in the entryway.

"Welcome home you two", Nodoka said from the couch as she sipped her tea and set down a magazine. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"It was fine", Akane said evasively, not wanting to lie to the older woman but not ready to confess that they had in fact skipped school. Ranma merely nodded, figuring anything he said would likely get them in trouble rather than help, especially since it was his mother asking the question.

While Akane went upstairs to change out of her school uniform as well as restore her school bag back to normal, Ranma searched the house for Kasumi. Now that the two of them confessed to one another it was time to take care another obstacle to his happiness and prayed it wouldn't blow up in his face. Truth of the matter was he had allowed it go on much too long. Even way back when it started and didn't like the tomboy as much he really should have put a definite stop to it. The problem was that Akane never believed anything but the worst and what she wanted to believe when he had tried to stop Ryoga from masquerading as P-chan.

He knew he needed to tell all three of the Tendo sisters about the cursed lost boy, but in order to avoid being blackmailed by Nabiki and killed by Akane, he decided to go to the eldest. She was so soft and gentle he didn't worry about her trying to hurt him and might even understand though naturally she would still be angry. He had allowed an intolerable situation to continue and it was time to face to the consequences. Ranma hoped it wouldn't ruin his new relationship with Akane, but there was no choice now. If he ignored it and hoped with went away she would be all that more angry, hurt and betrayed later.

Ranma finally found the eldest Tendo in her room and knocked quietly.

Kasumi looked up from her book that she was reading in bed and smiled, "Hello there Ranma, did you have a good day today?"

Ah, a question he could answer truthfully. The pony tailed youth smiled and said, "Yeah I did, how was your day?"

"I walked around town for awhile to get away from the house. It was nice actually", Kasumi said and then paused. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what's wrong?"

Ranma blinked and sighed. Apparently the eldest sister had a knack for seeing right through him no matter how well he tried to mask his body language and nervousness. "W-Why do you think there is something wrong?"

"I know you too well Ranma", Kasumi replied with a mischievous wink and continued, "Come over here and sit on the bed. Tell me what's troubling you."

"You're right Kasumi, I do want to talk to you. Mind if I close the door? It's a private manner I want to discuss", Ranma said nervously. At Kasumi's verbal affirmative, he closed the door and then walked over towards the brown haired woman's bed and sat down. He clasped his hands in his lap and looked down at the mattress attempting to gather his thoughts.

"I have a confession to make. I know you'll be upset and I hate myself for allowing it to fester so long, but I need to come clean about a certain topic", Ranma said somewhat cryptically. "I was also hoping of the three of you, you would be the most understanding and could maybe help me with other two, especially Akane. Her temper is better now but she still might want to kill me when she finds out."

"Oh my!", Kasumi exclaimed with a hand over her mouth. "What could be so horrible that she would want to kill you? Before you answer that though, why is this so important now all of a sudden that it wasn't so important then?"

"It was important then", Ranma replied as he cast his eyes downward, "I was just too much of a coward to do what really needed to be done. I was afraid she would hate me. Problem is if I had just dealt with it better then I wouldn't have to worry about her hating me now, which is a very real possibility. Kasumi, there is something else you should know before I say what's bothering me and maybe you'll understand why I really have to do this now and not later and why she might hate me more now than then."

Kasumi reached forward and wrapped the cursed boy into her arms and said, "I am here Ranma. I promise I will listen and try to be understanding. When you can find the words let them out and I'll see if I can help."

"Thanks", Ranma replied and sighed. "This morning Akane and I skipped school and went to the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. When we were approaching the school grounds we saw that the Hentai Horde had reformed and we, more her though, didn't want to deal with those idiots today so we didn't. While we were out of Nerima, we confessed our love for one another and kissed. This has truly been a wonderful day and I would hate to see it ruined. Even more I would hate to see our relationship disappear because of a mistake I made long ago."

Kasumi nodded and smiled. "I'm so glad you two finally told each other how you really felt. It's been a long time coming."

"Finally", Nabiki said as she walked in.

Kasumi frowned at the intrusion and said, "Nabiki, this is a private conversation and you really shouldn't be eavesdropping. It's no wonder they kept it to themselves for so long since they have to worry about someone overhearing every second of every day."

"This isn't anything we all didn't already know though", Nabiki said nonchalantly as she shrugged her shoulders.

"That doesn't make it right", Kasumi chided. "This was a huge step for both of them, you know that. Sure we knew Ranma and Akane cared for one another long before Jusendo in one way or another but they finally admitted it to themselves. Don't trivialize such events."

"Well", Ranma said slowly. "She might as well stay for the second secret."

"Are you sure?", Kasumi asked, concern clearly showing in her brown eyes. Nabiki's eyebrows rose in curiosity at the notion that Ranma and Akane skipping school, confessing their love and kissing wasn't the big secret. What could it be? The middle Tendo closed the door and walked over towards the bed. Whatever it was it had to be good if he was afraid Akane would kill him for it despite their new status.

"Yeah", the pony tailed youth said slowly and sighed. "Do you remember back when I first came here the first time Ryoga attacked at night?" Both of the Tendo girls nodded. "I found out why he wanted revenge on me so badly. When he failed for three days to show up for our duel and Pops knocked me out to go to China, Ryoga followed us. I don't know how he did it considering how easily he gets lost but he followed us all the way to Jusenkyo. While we were there I inadvertently knocked him off a cliff into one of the cursed pools."

"Oh Kami-sama", Nabiki said as the blood drained from her face in realization. Kasumi nodded her head and frowned, understanding the magnitude of the problem Ranma was now facing. While it didn't explain why he had kept it a secret for so long, it did put him in a very precarious position of now telling his girlfriend that she had been sleeping with a boy for nearly two years that she didn't even know was a boy.

"Ryoga is P-chan", Ranma said slowly, preparing for the worst and hearing only silence after Nabiki's statement.

"I am so sorry and I will do whatever it takes to atone for my actions in keeping it secret", Ranma said as he kowtowed in front of both sisters on the bed. "I don't think I can make it up to you two and I am pretty sure I can't make it up to Akane. If you all want me to leave this house and never step foot in it again, I will. I don't deserve to live here when I have allowed that dishonorable pig to take advantage of your little sister. I tried to give her clues about P-chan's real identity but she never caught on. I should have made certain. I didn't say anything straight out because I thought I owed it to him to keep it secret when I knocked him off the cliff."

"Ranma", Kasumi said sternly, "First of all it was his fault for not showing up for your duel and again when he followed you to China. The curse is not your fault." The eldest sister's tone turned sharper. "However, keeping it a secret like this, and for so long, definitely shows a profound lack of judgment and respect. You have allowed a boy to dishonor my little sister and I will need time to decide your fate. You will eat dinner with the family and behave as though nothing has changed. You will not tell Akane about P-chan tonight or at all. Is that understood?"

The black haired boy slowly raised his head and looked at the Tendo sisters in surprise and nodded. They wanted to hide it from their sister? No, more likely Kasumi wanted to be the one to break it to Akane since she could do so in a caring manner and wouldn't be the target of her anger and hurt. Ranma wasn't sure he could handle the look of betrayal on his girlfriend's face.

"Tomorrow", Kasumi said, voice edged in steel, "I will pronounce judgment and sentence you for your actions. I know you are old enough to know that every action has a consequence and this will be no different."

However", The eldest sister's voice softened at this point, "Thank you for telling us the truth rather than letting us discover it accidentally. Since you are willing to accept the consequences, including banishment, I see you are indeed growing up and are willing to take responsibility for your decisions. You should have told us the next day at the latest that Ryoga and P-chan were the same, especially after Akane adopted him as a pet. As for Ryoga, do not concern yourself with him, his punishment will be Akane's right since she is the one most grievously wronged."

"Ranma", Kasumi said gently, almost sisterly, "I really don't know if she will be able to forgive you for this. I don't wish to worry you, but you have to be prepared for the fact that you might not have a girlfriend tomorrow night. I'm sorry."

"I will have a punishment in mind for you tomorrow as well Ranma", Nabiki said sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest and smirked, '_You are going to be my model for a month or two Ranma in both of your forms. While P-chan didn't really do anything to me, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up and you did hurt my family._'

"I don't think I am going to be hungry for dinner tonight after all", Ranma said slowly.

"Tough", Nabiki replied acidly, "You are to act like you normally would and Ranma never skips a meal. This is part of your punishment and we don't want anyone thinking that something weird is going on."

"Tell me something Ranma", Kasumi said softly, shooting a glance at her sister, "You have been honest with us tonight correct?" Ranma nodded, wondering what the eldest sister was getting at. "Then you really do love my sister. Are you willing to marry her, stay with her, forsaking all others no matter what happens?"

"I love her Kasumi, with all of my heart and soul", Ranma replied as his eyes shimmered and tears tracked down his face. "I don't know what I would do if I lost her. I don't think I could go on living without her as she means everything to me. I do want to marry her but only if we truly love one another and not because of family honor or a promise made twenty years ago."

"Do you love her enough to marry her right now?", Kasumi asked, much to the surprise of the other two occupants of the room. "I don't mean we get a priest in here and actually marry you two this second. Do you, Ranma Saotome, love my sister enough that if it was now or never, would you marry her now without hesitation and without doubt?"

"Yes", Ranma replied without hesitation and with conviction in his voice.

"Then I don't think you have to worry about her hating you", Kasumi replied with a brilliant smile on her face. "Yes you made a colossal mistake but if you two truly love one another then you will get through this. Your relationship will survive and you will become stronger together. Do not expect her to forgive you immediately or even for a week or so. You will need patience in order to avoid driving her away. Her trust in you is going to be badly shaken, dare I say broken, but I will do what I can to help you two get through this."

"Thank you", Ranma said as he kowtowed on the bed again.

"Enough of that Saotome", Nabiki said with a sarcastic grin on her face. "We're not deities or Empresses or anything. Now get out of here you lunkhead."

Ranma chuckled lightly and nodded slowly as he left Kasumi's room. They may be ordinary girls but they held his fate in their hands. It would be a simple matter for either one of them to spin the situation in such a way that Akane would hate him forever. The tomboy might anyway even with them actually trying to help. The pony tailed youth didn't know what he would do if he was forced to leave or if he lost Akane's love. It was something he really didn't want to think about but was a very real possibility.

* * *

><p>Dinner was a quiet affair for the Tendo-Saotome families as everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Kasumi was troubled but no one would know it by looking at her. The eldest daughter's face was the perfect picture of serenity. She wondered if it would be a good time to announce her intentions of going to university in the fall or hold her tongue until after the P-chan situation was taken care of. She looked over at Nabiki and noticed the middle Tendo had a scowl on her face. Kasumi looked over at Akane who seemed to be in a good mood and was eating normally unlike her fiancé who was barely eating at all and looked depressed. She sighed knowing what was weighing on the black haired boy's mind and the trouble looming on the horizon. Nodoka seemed oblivious that anything was amidst and the fathers were too busy carrying on about going to the public baths and a bar to possibly notice the tension in the air.<p>

Akane looked over at her pony tailed fiancé and frowned, wondering what could be bothering her boyfriend. He barely looked at her, hardly ate much of anything and just kept quiet. Was he having second thoughts about them being a couple? Was he mad again because P-chan was around and in her room? Why did Ranma seem to hate her pet so much, it never made any sense to her. Perhaps she could talk to him about it after dinner on the roof and find out once and for all what was wrong. The raven haired girl reached out and placed her left hand on Ranma's leg underneath the table and smiled at him when he turned at the touch. Her smile evaporated though seeing his pained expression. Something was definitely wrong.

Kasumi noted the exchange and cast a worried glance over at her mercenary sister, wondering if perhaps they should tell Akane about P-chan tonight instead. Nabiki shook her head hoping that Ranma would get out of his funk so that her little sister could enjoy at least the rest of the day with her boyfriend, before he might become an ex.

The middle Tendo noticed the look on Ranma's face and scowled as she said, "Ranma, I want to talk to you after dinner, alone. Meet me upstairs in my room."

"Why?", Ranma replied before taking another bite of his dinner and ate slowly, not having much of an appetite due to his imminent doom. He knew he was breaking the elder sisters' mandate that he act normally so the others wouldn't know something was wrong but he couldn't get himself to pretend things were fine. The black haired boy sighed and knew Akane was worried, the look she had given him before told him she knew something was wrong. Apparently Nabiki wanted to remind him of that and had some choice words for him that she didn't want the others to hear.

"It's in your own best interest…", Nabiki said silkily as she smirked, "Trust me."

Ranma regarded the middle Tendo warily as his danger sense pricked and he wondered what sort of scheme or blackmail she had come up with now. Akane had told him that they could trust the short haired money grubbing extortionist but he wasn't so sure. He really wasn't sure now and knew he had to be careful. The pony tailed youth looked over at Akane and noticed a change in her facial expressions too, a wariness that perhaps she shouldn't have trusted her older sister after all. Ranma felt a gentle squeeze of his hand underneath the table and looked at his fiancée in gratitude. The raven haired girl smiled in response and nodded her head slightly.

The exchange wasn't lost on any of the females and Nabiki smirked even more. The mercenary figured that Ranma thought she was going to yell at him about his behavior and he was right but the rest of the household didn't need to know anything was amidst.

"Ranma", Nabiki said firmly, "Go up to my room now, I will be there in a minute."

Ranma nodded and trudged upstairs looking like a man on his way to the gallows. It was no coincidence that he also _felt_ like a man heading for his doom. The pony tailed young man stepped into Nabiki's room and shuddered. This was the place of nightmares, where blackmail and hidden plots were born, ready to swallow him up in one form or another.

* * *

><p>Nabiki walked in a minute later and closed the door softly as Akane slipped into her own room. The middle Tendo spun around and said a little louder than needed, "Ranma, don't you remember what I told you earlier? You were <em>supposed<em> to be acting like you usually do so no one would get suspicious. That little stunt you pulled earlier at dinner is intolerable and Akane clearly knows something is wrong. I know my little sister and she will try to get it out of you tonight, mark my words. If you value your life you will tell her nothing and let Kasumi take care of it tomorrow. She will be able to diffuse the situation a thousand times better than you can. Once she has broken the news to Akane you will have to talk to her if you want any chance at salvaging your relationship. You've really screwed up this time Saotome. Personally I think you are sunk but perhaps my baby sister will forgive you. I'm not so sure I could."

"I know", Ranma said, a bit too softly for the youngest Tendo to hear.

Akane remained crouched by the wall as she set down the glass she was using to eavesdrop on Nabiki's lecture. The raven haired girl wasn't sure what to feel. She felt angry, confused and hurt because Ranma was hiding something from her that both of her sisters knew about. She wondered what could possibly be so horrible that they needed Kasumi to talk to her first to diffuse the situation. Then there was that bit about it threatening their budding relationship. Something that in Nabiki's opinion anyway, that was pretty much unforgivable.

Her gaze wandered over towards the little black pig that was asleep on her bed and she began to wonder if it could possibly have anything to do with P-chan. Ranma was always chasing the pig around trying to get it out of her room at night. He seemed to hate the pig, why? Was he acting like a lunatic because he was jealous or was he actually trying to protect her from something? Was P-chan a Jusenkyo curse victim? She knew plenty of people cursed to turn into animals so why not a pot bellied pig. She looked at the pig's neckerchief a little closer and wondered at the similarity between it and Ryoga's bandanas. Maybe P-chan was the lost boy's pet but because he was always wandering he couldn't take care of him. That didn't make sense though because if that were the case, Ryoga would have asked her. She would have accepted without hesitation and P-chan would always be around. The pig seemed to disappear for weeks on end, just like Ryoga. Ranma was always calling the fang toothed martial artist Mr. P or P-chan. He would also call Ryoga pig boy, pork butt, or other pig related names. Could it be that Ryoga and P-chan were in fact, one in the same?

Akane shook her head in an effort to clear the strange line of thinking. She was pretty sure she knew Ryoga. The guy was horribly shy around girls and was too much of a gentleman to be such a dishonorable pervert. Still, those questions along with Ranma's strange behavior planted a seed in her mind that she wouldn't be able to avoid thinking about. Pushing those thoughts aside, she left her room in order to find her boyfriend as she still wanted to talk to him that night. Maybe she could get some answers out of him in regards to what Nabiki was yelling about.

The raven haired girl wandered around the house and found no trace of Ranma anywhere. Finally she decided to check one of his favorite thinking places, the roof. She climbed up and noticed him sitting over her bedroom apparently lost in thought.

Akane smiled and sat next to her boyfriend and said, "Hiya stranger, is this seat taken?"

Ranma didn't respond at first as he stared at the waning gibbous moon and breathed in deeply, trying to steady his nerves. He turned to look at her and offered her a ghost of a smile and said, "Always room for you tomboy."

The youngest Tendo smiled and sat down next to him as she wrapped her arm around his back. She leaned her head onto his shoulder as he put an arm around her in response. Akane said softly, "This is nice, the two of us up here all alone under the peaceful night sky."

Ranma smiled sadly and replied, "Yeah it is."

The raven haired girl squeezed the black haired boy sitting next to her and felt content just enjoying the moment. Whatever he was hiding could wait as she enjoyed the last few minutes with her boyfriend if the secret was truly horrifying. What was so horrible that Kasumi was going to break the news to her since it would be easier on her than if Ranma did it? Was he planning on breaking up with her?

"Ranma", Akane said at last in a serious tone as she moved away from him a little. She wanted to look into Ranma's eyes for this conversation and asked, "What are you hiding from me that Nabiki and Kasumi know about?"

Ranma knew he was dead and Nabiki had warned him this would happen. He wasn't sure what to do. The black haired boy couldn't deny it because Akane definitely knew something was wrong but Kasumi had forbidden him from telling her about P-chan. She claimed it would be better if it came from her rather than him first.

"I'm sorry Akane", Ranma said gently as he cast his eyes down and looked at the roof tiles, "I can't tell you as much as I'd like to. Kasumi told me not to tell you and that she would handle it tomorrow night."

Akane looked at her housemate and sighed. There was no going against Kasumi but she still thought she could get some useful information despite what her sister had said. She forced her emotions down and her eyes shimmered despite her efforts as she asked in a small voice, "Are you breaking up with me?"

Ranma looked at his girlfriend in shock and shook his head as he said, "No, definitely not. Actually I am really hoping that after this is over you'll still want me to be your boyfriend. I'm actually afraid you'll hate me and never want to speak to me again. I am prepared to face banishment as punishment but I think I would rather die than face a world where I was never able to see or hold you again. I love you too damned much to leave you but I may not have the choice."

"What could possibly be so terrible?", Akane mused aloud before she gasped, having finally caught Ranma's statement about dying if he couldn't see her anymore. The raven haired girl looked up into her boyfriend's shimmering blue eyes and wiped his tears away as she said softly, "I love you Ranma, I always will even if I am mad at you for whatever it is you have done or haven't done."

'_Oh you'll be mad at me alright_', Ranma thought despondently, '_I just hope you don't break up with me. It would be more merciful to kill me in that case. Ryoga deserves whatever you do to him but I was so stupid to go along with this for so long…_'

"I hope you'll remember that feeling tomorrow", the black haired boy said self loathingly as a tear fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheek before splattering on the roof. "No matter what happens Akane, I'll always love you. Please believe that and hold onto that in your heart."

'_What could be hurting him so badly?_', Akane wondered to herself as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. Ranma wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back with his strong hands. He had no idea if he would ever be able to comfort the tomboy like this ever again and was determined not to waste the opportunity.

Akane released her boyfriend and went back to sitting next to him and the two them held hands as they talked about various light topics and gazed into the evening sky. The temperature was a little chilly but they felt warm holding onto one another as they gazed into the starry night. A shooting star passed overhead and Ranma watched in fascination as the glittering stardust sprinkled out of the comet's tail.

'_Please Kami-sama_', Ranma thought desperately to himself, '_Please help Akane and me through this difficult time we will face tomorrow. I was wrong to hide P-chan from her, I know that but I pray she doesn't hate me. Please let us stay together. I will make it up to her somehow I beg you…_'

Akane clasped her hands in front of her chest as she watched the shooting star in awe and thought, '_Kami-sama, please help Ranma and me in this difficult time ahead. I don't know what the secret is but please help us face it together and remain a couple. I would miss him/her too much and I don't want to see us split apart for any reason. Please I beg of you, help me do whatever it takes so we can stay together._'

The two teenagers looked at one another with tears in their eyes and hugged one another with a ferocity more like that of a married couple separating because one of the spouses was heading off to war. Whatever it was, they wanted to face it together.

Akane scooted closer and cupped her boyfriend's face with her hands and leaned forward in order to kiss him. Ranma's eyes widened for a second before he mentally slapped himself and leaned forward in order to meet his fiancée in the middle. Their lips touched softly for a brief moment before both of them pressed forward and turned their chaste kiss into something more passionate and demanding. Ranma's hands reached around his girlfriend's back and pulled her closer to him so that she was sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck.

They sat there kissing for a few minutes until Ranma felt his arousal starting to get away from him and broke off the kiss. Akane frown in disappointment but then noticed the tent in his pants and scampered off his lap blushing furiously. He groaned at the loss of contact and cursed his body for betraying him so easily. He looked over at his tomboy and noticed that she didn't even look particularly phased and yet he was about to have an embarrassing accident.

"Um Ranma?", Akane said hesitantly as she pointed at the tent that threatened to burst through his boxers and pants, "You should probably do something about that."

"I know", Ranma replied, disappointment evident in his voice. Sometimes he envied girls in how well they could hide their arousals whereas his was rather obvious. He smirked as he thought for just a moment as the answer to his problem was just a splash of water away.

"Ranma, what?", Akane asked in confusion as she watched her boyfriend jump off the roof. She burst out laughing when she saw him jump into the Koi pond and shook her head as she thought amusingly to herself, '_Well, that's one way to take care of it._'

The red haired girl jumped back onto the roof and grinned as she said, "You know, sometimes having this female body really does come in handy."

Akane rolled her eyes at her fiancé's antics and embraced her red haired friend, not caring that she was wet. Ranma started to protest when suddenly she found her girlfriend's lips capturing her own. The raven haired girl relished in the softness of the smaller girl's lips as opposed to the firmer ones that Ranma's male form had. Like that afternoon, she felt her inner core ignite and a soft reddish aura surrounded her body as the two girls continued to kiss each other nearly senseless. Akane wondered at how her passion seemed to burn so easily when Ranma was a girl and not when he was a guy. Was it that she was physically attracted to Ranma's male form but emotionally connected to his female form?

"I love you Ranma", Akane said breaking the kiss as she gasped for air and gazed into her red-head's beautiful blue eyes.

"I love you too Akane", Ranma replied, equally needing to breath as she found herself getting lost in her girlfriend's warm chocolate eyes.

"We should get inside now", Akane said sadly as she held her girlfriend's hands in her own. "It's too cold out here to be standing around in wet clothes and I want to end tonight on a positive note. Don't worry about tomorrow, the sun will rise and we'll be together again."

Akane quirked a smile and kissed Ranma one last time on the lips as she said teasingly, "Good night girlfriend."

Ranma smiled at the remark and replied, "Good night Akane."

As Akane turned to walk away Ranma's eyes lit up as she remembered something her girlfriend did to her a few days previously and grinned mischievously. The red haired girl quickly caught up to her fiancée and playfully slapped her on the ass.

The raven haired girl turned around and gasped in shock for a moment but then started giggling as she remember doing the same thing herself. Ranma laughed softly and smiled playfully as she waved. Akane waved back and grinned, happy that the two of them were able to play around with one another.

* * *

><p>Akane climbed into her room through her window and closed the curtains so that no one could see her change. She stripped off her wet clothes and changed into some yellow pajamas that had pigs on them and sat on her bed. The youngest Tendo sighed heavily and crawled under the covers, her thoughts bouncing around her mind like a demented game of pong. The raven haired girl wasn't quite sure what to make of her feelings that seemed to be all over the place lately.<p>

It seemed as if in her mind Ranma was separating into two different people being held together by a single thread. What if that really happened and Ranma actually was split in half, would she stay with the male because he was the original and what society would accept? Would she leave the male and embrace the female, the feisty little red-head she had fallen for and really wanted to be with? Would she go back to disliking the male or would he continue to have a place in her heart while the female half filled the vast majority of it?

Akane closed her eyes and buried her head in her pillow as more and more questions ran through her mind. Questions, with so few answers. She felt safe in Ranma's presence, regardless of form and liked holding hands with both him and her, so that wasn't a problem. No, the issue came with kissing. Where was the fiery passion they had shared that afternoon? Was it because they were both girls? Perhaps it was because of the thrill of violating a social norm about displaying public affection. Would she have felt that same charge if Ranma had been a guy at the time or was it really because they were both girls?

Her left hand rose to her lips as she remembered Ranma's kisses and thought wistfully, '_That was really nice. Kissing male Ranma was interesting but I think I like kissing her lips a lot better. They are a lot softer, not to mention they taste better too. Every time I kiss her I feel an inner spark as though we are kissing with our souls. I didn't feel that when I was kissing him in fact it felt hollow. They are both Ranma but why do I feel a lot more passionate and aroused when I am kissing her?_ _I love Ranma, I know that much but do I really love him? I know I love her, but do I love him…_'

'_I know you are confused my daughter. Trust your heart and you will find what you are really looking for…_'

* * *

><p>The next morning Akane awoke with a sense of foreboding knowing something was wrong. She tried to put it out of her mind though as there was nothing she could do about it until that evening when Kasumi finally told her what it was. Since the secret had to do with Ranma the raven haired girl decided she would go on her morning run alone in an attempt to clear her mind in the cool morning air.<p>

As she jogged on the various walls she had already mastered her thoughts drifted back to the evening before and how she had kissed Ranma in both of his forms and her reactions. Akane still didn't understand why she felt so hollow kissing Ranma's male form and so energized and passionate kissing his female form.

Perhaps it had to do with how much mistrust she had for guys in general for so long because of Kuno and the Hentai Horde. She felt a lot more guarded and reserved when she was kissing Ranma's male form. Conversely, she opened herself up entirely to Ranma's female form and was able to enjoy it a great deal more. Her passion took on a visual manifestation with the red, white and pink aura she projected when she kissed the little red-head. Maybe she just needed time, after all it wasn't like she was used to kissing anyone. Perhaps the more they kissed one another in both of his forms she could come to accept his male kisses as easily as his female ones and she could show more passion to his male side.

Akane hoped that whatever the secret was it could be dealt with before their camping trip that coming weekend. She was really looking forward to the training and spending some quality alone time with her girlfriend. She'd want to spend it with her boyfriend too and get more comfortable around Ranma's male form but Kasumi would never let them go unless Ranma promised he would stay in female form the entire time. Perhaps Ranma could be male if Kasumi came along as a chaperon. Akane grumbled a little under her breath, "A third wheel is more like it."

* * *

><p>Awhile later, Akane and Ranma were walking hand in hand towards the school talking about one thing or another. They were still smarting from the reprimand Kasumi had given them about skipping school and wanted them to promise to go that morning. Akane told her sisters why they had and weren't sorry that they did. It had brought the two of them closer because they were able to finally confess their feelings to one another away from the craziness of Nerima. Nabiki as usual had gone on ahead in order to check in with her lieutenants and to take care of her various schemes and operations.<p>

*ring ring*

Ranma and Akane turned to look up and sighed as a certain bubbly Amazon sped towards them on her bicycle on top of the thin fence. The black haired boy narrowed his eyes and released his girlfriend's hand. Akane backed up slightly and wondered how her companion would handle the latest intrusion into their morning.

The Saotome heir cupped his hands together as a ball of Ki appeared between his palms. He aimed at Shampoo's bicycle of death with a smirk on his face as he thought, '_You aren't going to flatten me with that thing this time._'

The red energy bolt lanced out from his hands and streaked directly towards the bicycle. Shampoo's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected attack but couldn't dodge in time. She didn't stop moving though when her mode of transportation suddenly became useless as the energy blast mangled the frame of the bicycle. The Amazon flew off the bike and landed in the canal that bordered the sidewalk and changed into a lavender cat.

Ranma shrugged and continued on towards the school, not wanting to see Shampoo's cursed form. Akane ran up to him and the two of them walked away without looking back. The two teenagers knew a day of craziness was unavoidable now. They knew they were going to have to deal with Kuno and Ukyo at least, but apparently Shampoo had decided to wreck their day as well.

"I've never seen you attack Shampoo like that before, not that she doesn't deserve it after all those Amazon glomps she's given you", Akane said quietly as they rounded a corner of the street the ladle lady lived on.

"I'm not going to hold back anymore", Ranma sighed heavily, "She crossed the line when she threatened to kill you in China, not to mention that exploding food the other day. I'm tired of their games and I'm not going to play around with them anymore."

"Ranma", Akane said softly, "Could you just ignore them for awhile instead of fighting with them?"

The black haired boy stopped, confusion clearly visible on his face as he asked, "What? I should have gotten rid of them months ago and now that I finally am, you want me to do nothing?"

"Yes", Akane said as she sighed. "You see, Kasumi, Nabiki and I have a plan in motion that we think will get rid of them without having to throw a single punch and it'll ultimately be more satisfying. We're planning on a massive boycott of their restaurant and after a suitable amount of time has passed, we're going to hit them with a lawsuit for damages and harassment."

Akane bit her lip and wondered if she should mention that Ukyo was also a target of the plan but decided against telling her boyfriend for now. She would wait until she saw how Ranma treated his old friend first. The raven haired girl knew he would have no problem with Kodachi being targeting but Ukyo was a wild card because of their prior friendship.

Ranma thought about his girlfriend's words while he took a detour around the ladle lady's house and then returned to Akane's side a half a block later. The black haired boy slipped his hand into hers again and said, "I take it you are going to try to take down Ukyo as well? After all, she is just as guilty of throwing bombs at your dojo and she owns a restaurant too."

The raven haired girl sighed as she thought, '_So much for not telling him about that. I'm not going to lie to him though, we've done too much of that in the past. I really don't want to wreck our budding relationship with something like that anyway since he is likely to find out soon._'

"Ranma", Akane said as she embraced him gently and sighed, "I'm sorry, but yes, we're going after Ukyo and the Kunos as well."

"Why are you sorry?", Ranma asked as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "She destroyed your dojo with her okinomiyaki bombs and has tried to come between us far too many times to be excluded from your plan."

"I thought she was your friend", Akane replied softly as she looked deep into her boyfriend's blue eyes.

"She was once but she's crossed the line too", Ranma replied tiredly. "What kind of friend does the kinds of things she has done to someone they claim to love? It's not like she really cares about me anyway. All she cares about is winning me like I am a prize to be won so she can show me off to the rest of you. She wants me to give up my martial arts dream and work in her restaurant. Pfft, as if. She's just as selfish as Shampoo and Kodachi and I'm sick of it."

"You however, as far as I know, have never tried to control, trick, or dictate my life", Ranma said softly and suddenly in a much better mood. "Despite everything we have said and done to one another for so long, you've always been there for me willing to help out in any way that you could even though I usually protested at the time. I don't think I have ever thanked you for that but it is one of the reasons I love you."

Akane smiled and embraced her boyfriend tightly and said, "I love you too Ranma."

Ranma and Akane looked deep into one another's eyes for a minute longing to kiss the other but knew they shouldn't, not in public and definitely not near school. They sighed heavily and separated their hands and continued walking towards the front gates.

They stopped and looked at the school grounds expecting to see a group of boys in sports equipment milling about but saw nothing of the sort. They looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief and then laughed quietly. They still expected to deal with Kuno but oddly enough he wasn't behind the tree he usually was either. Raising an eyebrow and thinking that perhaps the Furinkan High male population was trying a new tactic, they walked into the courtyard carefully, prepared to be attacked any second. When nothing happened they shrugged their shoulders and walked into the school building. They were confused but they certainly weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma walked into their first period class and were immediately swarmed by students asking if they were still engaged and why they weren't at school the day before. They confirmed that they were in fact still engaged because of the family mandate that the Saotome and Tendo clans were to be joined but refused to elaborate much to Hikaru Gosunkugi's displeasure. The two of them really didn't want it to be public knowledge that they were an item because they wanted to be. As for why they weren't at school, they said that they didn't feel like dealing with Kuno and the Horde so they skipped but were busted by her older sister. They promised to be there that day no matter what happened. Ranma and Akane ignored Ukyo when she walked in and resumed talking with their respective friends.<p>

The two teenagers tried their best not to steal glances at the other throughout the morning classes. They really didn't want anyone to know just how well they were getting along but found it impossible to keep their eyes off one another. Finally the bell rang for lunch and Ranma bolted out of the classroom not wanting to deal with Hiroshi, Daisuke and figuring the raven haired girl would want to eat with her girl friends. Akane watched him go and frowned until she realized that he was giving her time to be with her friends without making a nuisance of himself.

Akane, Yuka and Sayuri walked downstairs and sat underneath the tree they usually ate under. It was a beautiful February day outside as the sun was shining brightly and there were very few clouds in the sky. There was just enough of a breeze to be comfortable without causing a chill.

The youngest Tendo was tempted to tell her friends everything that had happened the previous day but held her tongue. The last thing she needed was someone eavesdropping and ruining things. Instead they made small talk and discussed plans for the up coming week and weekend. Akane informed them that she planned to go on a training trip and the two non-martial artists rolled their eyes and sighed. Yuka and Sayuri were hoping to go shopping or something with their friend.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ranma sat on top of the roof and watched over the courtyard hoping nothing would happen. His gaze fell upon his fiancée and her two girl friends and sighed. He watched as she laughed at something or another and felt a pang of jealousy hit him. Hiroshi and Daisuke were decent guys but they always wanted to know if he had done anything with any of his fiancées. He was so tired of being a source for gossip material and not a person. Why couldn't he have talks where he could let himself go and laugh like Akane and her friends.<p>

Some distant thought appeared in his mind that asked, '_Could her friends become my friends too? It would be so liberating if I could just talk to people without being hounded about my sex life and other inappropriate things. I probably wouldn't be able to join them as a guy though. I'd ask Akane about it but I doubt she'll want to be anywhere near me when the P-chan secret blows up tonight._'

The pony tailed martial artist sighed longingly and ate his lunch slowly as he continued to watch Akane and her friends carrying on without a care in the world. Ranma tensed a few moments later when he sensed a presence he didn't want to deal with walking towards him.

"Hey Ranchan", Ukyo said in a bubbly sweet voice that made Ranma want to throw up. He really didn't want to deal with her today, or ever again really considering all of the crap she had put him through lately.

"…"

"Hey sugar…", Ukyo started only to fall back in surprise when Ranma whirled around, eyes flashing in anger.

"Go away", Ranma said darkly as he unclenched the fist he had unknowingly made. "Stop calling me Ranchan, sugar, honey and crap like that. I am not any of that to you and I'm tired of hearing it."

Ukyo stepped backward as if slapped in surprise at the vehemence in her fiancé's voice. Something was definitely wrong with her Ranchan if he was snapping at her, the cute fiancée, like that. She decided against pressing him for any more information as it was clear that Ranma had no intentions of talking with her. She left in order to look for Nabiki while Akane smiled inwardly as she watched the roof top drama unfold and silently congratulated her boyfriend at his performance.

* * *

><p>"Hey Nabiki", Ukyo called as she walked up to the senior who was talking with a couple of her friends.<p>

Nabiki turned around scowling as she asked scathingly, "What do you want Kunoji?"

Ukyo stepped back at the tone, confusion all over her face. What was it with the cold shoulder that both her and Ranma had responded to her with? The chef doubted Akane would give her any sort of warm reception either but pushed thoughts of the tomboy aside. "I went to talk to Ranma and he acted like you just now, what's going on?"

The middle Tendo shook her head and went back to discussing things with her lieutenants for a few moments before she felt a tap on her shoulder. The other two girls gasped as Nabiki slowly turned around again, anger clearly on her face as she snarled, "What the hell do you want?"

"I want to know what's going on", Ukyo said defiantly and offered a few thousand Yen bills.

Nabiki shook her head and said, "That information is not for sale. Now go away and leave my family as well as Ranma alone. We want nothing more to do with you. You can carve up Genma's hide for all I care but the rest of us are off limits, am I clear?"

"You don't scare me Nabiki", Ukyo snarled as she clenched her fists in anger, "I am Ranma's fiancée and I have just as much claim to him as your sister does if not more. Genma took my dowry already whereas yours is still intact!"

The middle Tendo's expression darkened as she growled angrily, "You have a lot of gall to say something like that to me after the shit you pulled the other day. Thanks to you and that bitch Shampoo there is very little of the Tendo's dowry left."

"So what? Your dojo can be repaired while mine is gone!", Ukyo yelled as she readied her battle spatula. "I was doing Ranchan a favor. Do you really think he wanted to marry your uncute and violent sister?"

Nabiki chuckled darkly and shook her head, "Silly silly girl. Do you really believe you can threaten me with that baker's peel? Right now Ranma is only mad at you. Do you really think he'll stand by and do nothing if you attack me? Don't forget who I am Kuonji, what Ranma does to you will be nothing compared to what I do to you. I would suggest that you refrain from insulting my sister and that you walk away now while you still can."

With grim determination, Ukyo lunged at Nabiki only to be stopped dead in her tracks by Ranma. He wrenched the spatula from her grasp and bent it in half as he glared at the okinomiyaki chef in anger. She backed up slightly at the wild look in her fiancé's cold blue eyes and sputtered something incoherent. Half a second later a red energy blast lanced out from his hands and slammed into her stomach with the force of a freight train. She barely registered the KI-blast's impact before she flew backwards and crashed into the wall of the school building and slipped into darkness.

"Thank you Ranma", Nabiki said sweetly and patted him on the shoulder as she turned to walk back towards her friends.

"I am so sick of those girls", Ranma said darkly as he glowered at Ukyo's crumpled form. "First Shampoo this morning and now Ukyo."

"Wait", Nabiki said curiously as she stopped and turned around to face her future brother-in-law and asked, "What happened with Shampoo this morning?"

"She was riding her bicycle ready to flatten me with it so I knocked her into the canal. I didn't stick around to make sure she was okay though since she turns into a cat", Ranma replied as he clenched his fists in frustration. The stress of his impending doom and how badly Akane would react to the P-chan reveal was taking its toll on him, making him incredibly irritable and high strung. '_I am so sick of all this crap. If things go badly tonight and Akane really can't forgive me, I'll leave this hell hole forever. She's the only reason I am still here after all._'

Nabiki walked up to Ranma and grabbed his hand. She dragged him over to the corner of the courtyard and asked quietly, "Has Akane told you about our plan to deal with the girls?"

"She mentioned something about it this morning after I knocked Shampoo into the canal", Ranma replied.

"Okay, I will let this slide today but we really need for you not to attack them so much alright?", Nabiki said imploringly, which was something Ranma had never seen her do. "Ukyo attempted to attack me so I am really glad you were there to stop her. I think knocking her into the wall was a little excessive though."

"Yeah", Ranma replied sheepishly, "It probably was but I am just so tired of them. I don't know how many times I have told them I am not interested in them that way and that I would never marry them. They just don't seem to get it. It's just so damn frustrating."

"I know", Nabiki said gently and rested a hand on his arm, "But we need to be patient for the boycott and lawsuits to work. We want retribution for the damages they have caused our house fighting over you. Trust us on this, please?"

Ranma was flabbergasted, this was not the Nabiki he knew. The middle Tendo he knew was never gentle and kind, least of all to him. She certainly never said 'please' or 'thank you' in his presence and he found the effect rather disconcerting. With everything that had happened lately he wondered if he had stepped into an alternate universe or something. Nabiki seemed to actually care about him and her sisters for the first time since he had met her. Akane had confessed to him and then kissed not only his male form, but his female form. His mother wasn't harping on him about some contract and his father was leaving him alone. It was just weird.

The pony tailed young man merely nodded and Nabiki flashed him a brilliant smile. It wasn't as beautiful as the one Akane gave him from time to time but it was heart warming all the same which only served to make him even more nervous.

* * *

><p>Akane had trouble sitting still in her afternoon classes as the time approached that would invariably change her life in some profound way. Ranma's secret was hours from being exposed and she found it really difficult to concentrate on what her teachers were saying. The raven haired girl noted that her boyfriend was even worse off. He was about ready to hyperventilate and was sent to the nurse's office because the teachers thought he was going to have a panic attack.<p>

Everyone was surprised in Home Economics when Akane didn't set fire to the stove or cause some other mystical disaster. She was so worried about what was going to happen later she didn't do any of her creative cooking and merely followed the recipe like a robot. Everyone congratulated her on a job well done and the raven haired girl was floored at the notion that she could cook. All she had to do was have a life altering problem on her mind and she cooked perfectly. Akane shook her head in bewilderment and sighed as the bell rang signaling the end of classes for the day. The raven haired girl picked up her creation and was about to throw it in the trash when someone stopped her.

"Don't throw that out", Sayuri said, "You did an excellent job making that. You should take it home to your family, or give it to that stud muffin of a fiancé of yours."

"He won't eat it", Akane said hollowly.

"Why not?", Yuka demanded.

"He says my food taste like toxic waste", the youngest Tendo said in the same emotionless and hollow voice.

"Well", Sayuri paused and grimaced, "Honestly your normal cooking is a little bad. This, however is fantastic. Whatever you did to make this is what you need to do all of the time. Give this to Ranma, I know he'll appreciate it and if he still insults it, well maybe you should knock him to the moon."

"You really think he'll like it?", Akane asked, hope shining in her eyes for the first time in awhile as her voice returned to normal.

"Yes", Yuka and Sayuri said together as their friend smiled one of her sunniest smiles they had ever seen.

* * *

><p>Akane ran up to Ranma after the class and the two teenagers smiled at one another despite the looming threat to their happiness that was merely hours away at this point. The pony tailed youth noticed the package of food in his girlfriend's hand and tried to swallow the lump that was in his throat. He hoped she wouldn't insist on him eating her latest concoction, his body was going to be in enough pain later on as it was.<p>

"Ranma", Akane said stopping him with a touch. She gave her boyfriend puppy dogs eyes and asked, "Will you try this? I made it during Home Ec and Yuka and Sayuri both said it taste really good."

Ranma sighed and tried to hide his gag reflex but relented as he nodded. Apparently he was going to be in pain no matter what, either from a nasty stomach cramp or from her punching him into the canal. The former had the benefit of making her happy which might help when the P-chan issue came out soon. He steadied his nerves and cautiously put a little bit of the brown confection in his mouth, expecting the brownie to taste like soy sauce and gasoline. What he got instead though was a delicious mixture of chocolate and nuts. Ranma couldn't believe it, his tomboy had finally learned how to bake/cook mere hours before he was going to lose her forever.

"This is really good Akane", Ranma said happily as he gave her the warmest smile he could. The raven haired girl's eyes lit up and her big brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears of happiness as she thought excitedly, '_I did it! I finally made something he likes!_'

"Oh thank you Ranma", she said filled with emotion as she dragged her boyfriend into a nearby alley before jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. The black haired boy looked confused and was about to ask something when Akane closed her mouth over his and sucked in his breath as she kissed him passionately. He felt dizzy for a second and melted into his girlfriend's kiss as he returned with an equally powerful one. The two teenagers held onto one another for a few minutes before they reluctantly separated. They were still somewhat in public and they really didn't want anyone from school to see them.

"Have you tried these?", Ranma asked when he had recovered somewhat from their impromptu make-out session, curious as to how the brownies didn't get squashed when she leapt at him. He handed her the plate with a warm smiles on his face.

"No", Akane said but smiled at the offering and sampled it. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets and she said in surprise, "Oh wow. How did I make this?"

Ranma laughed as he said, "You mean you don't know?"

Akane shook her head and replied, "I was so worried about what Kasumi is going to tell me this afternoon I didn't even really try to cook. I just read the book and did what it said."

The pony tailed young man face palmed and said, "Akane, that's what you should have been doing all along. That's called following a recipe and it's how you can prevent cooking disasters. When you throw everything and anything into the mix you get some very strange and undesirable effects. Never mind that Kasumi or my mother don't do it that way. They know the recipes by heart so they don't need to read the directions, that's why it seems like they are just throwing random things in. Trust me, it's not random at all."

Understanding dawned in the tomboy's brown eyes and she nodded. "So it's kind of like a kata then? I was trying to throw all these different elements into it when I really needed to do this move, then that move for it to actually work?"

"If you want to think of it that way", Ranma replied with a grin, "then yes, cooking is like a kata. You will need to master the basics before you try to make the complicated recipes and forget about improvising until later. You've done enough of that for a lifetime."

"Baka", Akane said as she swatted her boyfriend playfully and smiled. The youngest Tendo slid her hand into Ranma's and the two of them walked towards the park, hand in hand enjoying their time together.

* * *

><p>Dinner at the Tendo household was fairly uneventful despite the feeling of dread for its too youngest members. Kasumi and Nodoka were discussing a recipe they wanted to try sometime in the near future. Nabiki was stone faced as usual, gathering her thoughts for the conversation she wanted to have with Ranma after dinner while her other sisters were talking. Genma and Soun paid no attention to anyone and were laughing boisterously at one stupid thing or another.<p>

Ranma felt like it was his last meal before being sent off to the guillotine and ate slowly, savoring every bite. He stole a few glances at his girlfriend and smiled inwardly. No matter what happened he would cherish the last couple of days they had shared together. It wasn't the first time that he kicked himself mentally for not exposing P-chan a lot sooner. Now he had to deal with the fallout when they had finally gotten together only to be torn apart.

Akane herself was almost too scared and nervous to eat. She nibbled at her dinner like a little animal and kept stealing glances at her boyfriend. She tried to smile at him but her face wouldn't cooperate so she had to settle for a slight frown. She desperately wanted to believe that they were overreacting and that everything would be fine after the talk with Kasumi. The raven haired girl wasn't willing to give up on Ranma, no matter what happened or so she wanted to believe. They had been through far too much together and had just recently confessed their true feelings for one another. There was no way in hell she was going to let that go without a fight. No matter what it was, she decided she would follow Ranma anywhere and the two of them would face everything and anything that stood in their way of being a couple together.

When everyone was finished, Ranma looked over at his girlfriend and saw the nervousness in her eyes. He reached out under the table for her hand and she accepted it as a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. He gently squeezed her hand and her smile widened as she felt his love and warmth. Soun and Genma stood up from the table and walked over to the Shogi board to start a new game of "who can cheat better?".

"Come on Ranma", Akane said enthusiastically, "Let's go take a walk for awhile before we work on our homework."

"Ugh, homework", Ranma said in distaste as he frowned. Akane squeezed his hand gently to let him know what she really wanted to do rather than homework but they had agreed to keep the parents in the dark about the true nature of their relationship. It was their hope that they would get married when they wanted to, not when their fathers could conveniently get a priest to come by.

Kasumi and Nabiki already knew that they had confessed their love to one another and kissed. What they didn't know was that their first kiss had been as two girls and wanted to keep it that way. They had since kissed as a guy and a girl but they wanted to keep that under wraps as much as possible too.

"Akane", Kasumi said reproachfully, "Don't you remember we were going to talk after dinner?"

"Yeah", Akane said with a smile on her face that turned into a smirk, "When we get back it'll still be after dinner." The youngest Tendo released Ranma's hand and stood up. The Saotome heir stood up as well with a matching smile on his face and the two teenagers fled the Tendo compound. Once they were out of sight they grabbed each other's hand and slowed down to a walk breathing in the crisp cool evening air.

"What was that all about?", Nodoka asked in curiosity as she indicated the two younger teens that left fairly quickly.

"Oh nothing Auntie", Nabiki said neutrally, "Kasumi just wanted to talk to Akane about something before tomorrow. I'd like to talk with Ranma as well but I guess we'll have to wait now."

"It's so nice to see them getting along with one another finally", Nodoka replied as she smiled wistfully and picked up some of the dished to carry them into the kitchen. "I wonder if there are any romantic feelings between them yet. They seem to be really good friends at least but I had hoped they would fall in love with one another and would want to get married some day."

Kasumi and Nabiki traded glances and nodded their heads in agreement. They both knew the two youngest teenagers loved one another, what they were apprehensive about was whether or not Akane would still love Ranma once the great reveal took place.

* * *

><p>Ranma and Akane walked hand in hand down the darkened streets of Nerima in silence. They wanted to enjoy each other's company one last time before all hell broke loose. They were both nervous and found comfort in each other as they walked along, lost in their own thoughts. They stepped into an alley and kissed one another fairly passionately and both of them felt their inner cores begin to heat up in the love they had for one another. The two teenagers broke the kiss and embraced one another and held on as if they were going to be forcibly separated at any moment.<p>

"I need to apologize to you Akane", Ranma said quietly and bowed his head as tears shimmered in his blue eyes, "I let an intolerable situation continue and even though I tried to correct it on many occasions, I should have tried even harder or told you outright. I pray that you will be able to forgive me and I hope that you will remember that I love you more than anything. I will do anything you ask, even leave and never bother you again, if that is what you want."

"Ranma…", Akane said worriedly. "Is it really so bad that you think I would retract my love for you, that I would hate you?"

"It is", Ranma replied, eyes downcast as a few tears streaked down his cheeks and fell to the ground with a soft plopping sound. "I promise you I will never keep something like this from you ever again. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

"Well", Akane said hesitantly as she looked into his stormy blue eyes, "If it's really that bad, will you promise to explain to me why you kept it a secret for so long and what you were trying to accomplish by doing so? I really don't want to go back to thinking the worst about you and hitting you. I want us to be able to talk about anything and everything in a rational manner so we don't blow up at one another anymore. Can we work through this together like the couple I hope we are?"

"Assuming you don't want to kill me when you find out", Ranma said half jokingly as he grimaced, "I promise I'll try to explain it as best I can. I would really like to make it through this alive and us still a couple. I love you Akane, I really don't want to lose you ever again."

"I love you too Ranma", Akane said as she smiled brightly before embracing her boyfriend again. The two teenagers kissed, long and passionately for the next few minutes before they decided it was time to face the music and see if they could survive the fallout.

* * *

><p>Ranma and Akane walked back onto the Tendo grounds and squeezed each other's hand one last time before separating. Ranma jumped up onto the roof so he could enter his room without being assaulted with questions from the parents or sisters. He just wanted to be alone for awhile as he awaited judgment.<p>

Akane walked into the house and said in a less than cheerful voice, "I'm home."

Kasumi smiled warmly and said, "Welcome back Akane. Did Ranma come back with you?"

"Yeah, I think he decided to go up to the roof for awhile", Akane replied and then gave her sister a steely look and said without emotion, "I'm ready now Kasumi."

Kasumi nodded seriously and the two of them walked up the stairs towards the eldest daughter's bedroom in silence. The conversation the youngest Tendo had been dreading all day was finally upon her. She didn't regret for one moment the love and affection she had showered on her boyfriend as it had been a wonderful way to distract her from their impending doom.

"Akane", Kasumi said gently as she led the shorter girl over to the bed. She pulled out some tissues just in case and said, "First of all I want to apologize. You were never supposed to know anything was wrong until now. I know you've been worried all day and I feel that it is at least partially my fault. I told Ranma yesterday not to behave differently because this was exactly what I was afraid would happen. That was why Nabiki yelled at him last night and you found out that something was definitely wrong."

'_I could have done without all of the grief but maybe it was better this way_', Akane thought to herself as she remembered fondly all of the kisses and declarations of love throughout the day as though it were their last. She realized then that she had felt some passion burning in her heart for Ranma's male half, something that as of the night before had eluded her and left her confused. Akane smiled inwardly thinking that she could give her heart to Ranma completely and wouldn't have to split it between his male half and female half any longer. She would love the Saotome teenager no matter the form, male, female or both.

"Akane?", Kasumi said gently as the elder sister touched the raven haired girl's arm trying to bring her back to the present.

"Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking about today and how happy Ranma and I were together", Akane said wistfully as she started to daydream again.

The eldest daughter sighed, it was just as she feared. Akane was so in love with Ranma she might never recover from his betrayal if she saw it that way. Maybe, just maybe she wouldn't care? No, she would care but maybe not enough to ruin anything between them? After everything they had been through perhaps their souls were already bonded together and nothing would separate them.

"Akane!", Kasumi said louder and shook her younger sister, "Please pay attention and stop thinking about Ranma for a little bit alright? I have something very important to tell you."

Akane blushed heavily at being caught daydreaming about her boyfriend and nodded as a smile crept onto her face.

Kasumi took her sister's hands into her own and said gently, "I want you to promise me that you will listen to what I have to tell you. Do not jump to conclusions and be sure to think before you act. It is a secret that Ranma and Ryoga have been keeping from you, from all of us for quite a while now."

"I-I promise. W-What secret?", Akane stammered, not liking the direction there conversation was going one bit as her brown eyes shimmered and a tear rolled down her cheek. She dismissed the thought as soon as it appeared that the two of them were any sort of couple. She knew that Ranma was keeping something from her but what did Ryoga have to do with it unless…

"Akane", Kasumi said softly as she squeezed her sister's hands gently. It had been hard enough on her and Nabiki, this was going to crush her little sister but it needed to be done. She needed to know the truth. "Ryoga is P-chan."

"W-What?", Akane asked almost in a whisper as she felt the blood drain out of her face.

"I'm sorry Akane, but it's true. Ranma confessed it to us yesterday afternoon", Kasumi said softly as she leaned forward and enveloped the shorter girl in a hug. Akane numbly collapsed into her older sister's arms as tears began to fall from her eyes in earnest. "Nabiki and I found him in your room last night and we saw the change for ourselves. We will hold off punishing him until you get a chance to decide his fate for yourself."

"His fate…", Akane said numbly as images of everything she had ever done in P-chan's presence appeared in her mind. She had held him to her chest… She had slept with him… She had changed in front of him… She had told him things she wouldn't tell even her best friends about Ranma. No wonder the lost boy always seemed to know what was going on even though she had never said anything to him in his human form. Akane suddenly felt incredible ill and ran out of the room. She desperately tried to make it to the kitchen or the bathroom but unfortunately she only made it halfway down the stairs before she had no choice but to empty the contents of her stomach.

Kasumi appeared behind her sister and knelt down to wrap her arms around the smaller girl as she murmured soothing words even though she knew words would not help right then. Akane knelt on the stairs as her body shook from its forceful ejection, not really seeing much of anything. Her mind was caught in a maelstrom of emotions as her thoughts were ripped away from her as soon as they formed. After a little coaxing from her eldest sister, Akane wordlessly trudged back towards Kasumi's bedroom and sat on the bed again.

"Akane", Kasumi said gently as she offered her sister some tissues to wipe her mouth and dry her eyes, "I know this is a shock to you but there is more that I need to tell you."

Akane stared at her sister unseeing and nodded numbly as some coherent thoughts appeared in her mind, '_Ranma, how could you let that pervert sleep in my bed? Why didn't you tell me and how can I possibly trust you now?_'

Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind the answers came back as she recalled how often Ranma would try to stop her from sleeping with the pig. It wasn't petty jealousy she had accused him of was it? Well, maybe there was a little jealousy but really he was trying to protect her from Ryoga but she never listened. There were all those times she yelled at him for picking on P-chan or picking on Ryoga, but wasn't it always the lost boy who would attack Ranma? He would always yell, "Ranma prepare to die" before attacking without reason it seemed.

Just like Ryoga, she always blamed Ranma for everything without considering how she contributed to the fights between them. Tears welled up in her brown eyes as she realized just how unfair she had been to her fiancé. Until recently, she had always thought the worst about him, hitting him and cursing their forced relationship. He must really love her after all to put up her antics constantly for as long as he had. Despite everything, Ranma still loved and protected her and chances were good that the only reason he was even still in Nerima was because of her. If she broke up with him over P-chan or anything else he would leave forever and Ryoga would win. The lost boy had been trying to split them up from the very beginning.

Akane steeled her resolve as she felt anger replace her depression and vowed silently, '_Ryoga will never win. I will not break up with Ranma over this despite my feelings of revulsion for the two of them at the moment. At least now I understand why he was so afraid I would hate him and wouldn't be surprised if I never wanted anything to do with him again. It really is that bad but we will get through this, I promise you Ranma. I will need some time but I will forgive you. I love you too damn much to let this destroy us despite my anger at you right now._'

"Ranma…", Kasumi started.

"Don't say his name", Akane spat as she wiped her tears away angrily.

Kasumi nodded in understanding and said, "He who shall not be named felt he was to blame for Ryoga…"

"Don't say his name either", the youngest Tendo growled as she clenched her fists and her angry battle aura appeared around her.

"Um, well", Kasumi faltered, wondering how to convey what she needed to say without using either Ranma or Ryoga's name. "He who shall not be named felt he was to blame for the lost one's curse because he accidentally knocked the lost one into a cursed spring when he followed he who shall not be named to Jusenkyo because of the duel the lost one was three days late for. After you took him as your pet, he who shall not be named…

Akane burst out laughing at this point, interrupting her older sister again. Kasumi looked at her like she had grown three heads or something equally bizarre and sighed.

"Akane?", Kasumi asked hesitantly as she reached out for her sister.

"I'm sorry Kasumi", Akane said softly as she wiped some tears away from her eyes. "I just think it's funny the way you are trying to tell me about Ranma and Ryoga without using their names. I know I told you not to but I think it's okay if you do now. You might make a little more sense."

"Alright", Kasumi said hesitantly and then continued, "All I really know is that Ranma felt he was responsible for cursing Ryoga even though I told him it wasn't his fault. I think he made some sort of promise to the lost boy, or to himself anyway, that he wouldn't reveal his curse. I think this was just before you took him as a pet. Afterwards he tried everything he could, short of telling you directly to help you figure it out and tried to protect you. That was why he snuck into your room and why he was always chasing P-chan around. He was trying to keep pig boy from doing what he was doing without breaking his promise. I hope you will remember this when you confront Ranma about it. Keep in mind that he tried to protect you. Remember how he would always call the pig Ryoga or the Habiki boy P-chan?"

"I remember", Akane said slowly, more mad at herself for missing her housemate's obvious clues than at Ranma himself. She had just gone over this possibility the previous evening too when she first overheard Nabiki yelling at her boyfriend. Huh, boyfriend… Was Ranma still her boyfriend despite this betrayal? The raven haired girl pushed that thought aside and decided she would wait until after she talked with him in order to deal with it.

First she needed to find out why Ranma had kept it a secret in the first place. Surely it wasn't so that he could make a fool out of her was it? They weren't exactly getting along back then though so it was a possibility. Could it really have been all some sick game to them? Akane started to feel nauseous again and grabbed a fistful of tissues so she could catch her vomit this time.

"Oh Kasumi", Akane sobbed as some of the shock had worn off and lunged forward in order to hug her sister, "How could I have been so blind?'

"How could any of us, especially when we live with a man that changes into a panda and another that becomes a girl", Kasumi said as she frowned, wondering how she could have been so blind the whole time as well.

The two sisters sat there on Kasumi's bed hugging one another for a few more minutes as they replayed the last year or so through their minds and wondered how they could possibly miss all of the obvious signs and sighed. Finally they straightened up and Akane slid off the bed with a certain fire in her eyes as she smoothed out her dress and rubbed her eyes.

"Where is that pervert?", Akane said icily as she invoked her own version of the Soul of Ice. It wasn't quite the same as the one Ranma had learned but she still found it useful. Since she had begun meditating in order to control her anger she found that she could achieve a semblance of the emotional detachment necessary for it.

"If you mean Hibiki", Kasumi paused and Akane nodded her head, "He should still be hogtied in Happosai's old room. I wanted him out of the way until you decided what you wanted to do with him."

Akane narrowed her eyes and smirked. As she left her older sister's bedroom she said, "Thank you Kasumi. How would feel about pork for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Oh my!", Kasumi said with a hand over her mouth.

* * *

><p>Akane stormed out of her sister's bedroom and felt white hot anger boil within as her battle aura flared around her. The raven haired girl clenched her fists really wanting to pound on something, or rather someone but knew ultimately it wouldn't help. Ryoga was as tough as a rock wall so unless she could attack him for hours in the end he would be perfectly fine the next day. No, a physical attack with her fists wasn't going to accomplish what she wanted to do. She needed something sharp and pointy and an evil smile crossed her face when an idea appeared in her head.<p>

The raven haired girl calmed herself down as she stood in the hallway breathing slowly in and out until her body felt like it was in equilibrium again. She was pissed, but she needed to be in control of her anger, not let it control her. Ranma had said something similar to her when they sparred once in awhile before the adventure in China. Akane smirked and was pretty sure she would hear those words again when they started training together for real, once she stopped being mad at him and forgave him. Even though he had made the promise he wouldn't tell, with everything Ryoga had done to her she still felt he should have. The youngest Tendo felt so horribly unclean knowing what she had allowed the pig to do to her. Akane shivered and set her thoughts of Ranma aside so she could focus on her new mission for the evening.

First, she needed to establish that P-chan really was Ryoga, not that she didn't trust her eldest sister but Akane really needed to see it for herself before she could allow herself to believe it fully. She walked towards Happosai's room and poked her head inside. She felt a flicker of anger as well as pleasure when she noticed that Ryoga was in pig form and hogtied in the corner, just as her older sister had said. The animal didn't react to her presence and she hoped the pervert was asleep.

Akane walked down to the tea room and walked up to her future mother-in-law and said, "Auntie?"

"Yes?", Nodoka asked and she set her reading material aside for a moment and gave the youngest Tendo her full attention.

"Can I borrow your katana for a little while? I promise I won't damage it or anything, I just need something long and sharp to make a point", Akane said guardedly while trying to make herself look as cute as possible. Hey, it worked for Ranma, perhaps she could do it too.

"Certainly dear, it's up on the mantle", Nodoka replied, not sure why her future daughter-in-law wanted the sword but saw no reason to deny her request. She picked up her magazine again and went back to reading about teenaged daughters. A curious grin crossed her lips as she thought, '_I love my son, I really do. I love my daughter too even though she isn't real. All of that time he pretended to be Ranko Tendo I grew really fond of her. I feel as though I know her better than I do my own son, even though they are two sides of the same coin. I wonder if Ranma would consent to being my daughter half of the time and would grow to love himself as him and her. I know I already do…_'

"Thank you", Akane said as she headed to the bathroom in order to stash the weapon within easy reach of where she would throw her soon to be ex-pet pig into the bath water and see the truth for herself.

Steeling her resolve, Akane walked back into Happosai's room and picked up the piglet trying to hide her revulsion. Ryoga squirmed at the contact and opened his eyes in shock as they widened to the size of tea saucers. Panic briefly overtook him when he noticed who was holding him. The lost boy thought it was strange that Akane was holding him the way she normally did and even spoke to him in a kind and soft voice. Thinking wrongly that maybe Nabiki and Kasumi had been bluffing when they threatened to tell the youngest Tendo, he settled down and nuzzled into Akane's chest content that things were back to normal.

The raven haired girl glared at the hateful and lying traitor and fought down the urge to vomit as she tried to maintained her composure. Her plan depended on Ryoga not suspecting what she was really up to until it was too late. Stepping into the bathroom she grabbed P-chan by his neckerchief and threw him into the hot bath that was waiting for him. While Ryoga was flying through the air in confusion, Akane grabbed the Saotome honor blade and unsheathed it and held it out in front of her for when the pig would become a perverted boy.

Ryoga hit the water in surprise and freaked out as his body changed. If he remembered things correctly he knew he was in trouble. He stayed under the water for a few moments but soon his lungs screamed at him to breath. The lost boy surfaced but before he could breathe what little air remained within him was expelled as he gasped in surprise. He froze in fear when he saw Nodoka's naked blade pointed at his throat just barely touching it. The person wielding the sword was none other than his love interest, Akane Tendo.

"Hello pervert", Akane said in a deathly calm voice with an icy smile on her face.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._

* * *

><p><em><span>Akane's current aura color combinations:<span> _

_Ki-cocoon: White, Pink, Red - Confidence, Love, Passion _

_Fl__aming Battle Aura: Dark Red, Black - Anger, Hate_


	5. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter Four

_A Thin Line Between Love and Hate_

.

.

_Steeling her resolve, Akane walked back into Happosai's room and picked up the piglet trying to hide her revulsion. Ryoga squirmed at the contact and opened his eyes in shock as they widened to the size of tea saucers. Panic briefly overtook him when he noticed who was holding him. The lost boy thought it was strange that Akane was holding him the way she normally did and even spoke to him in a kind and soft voice. Thinking wrongly that maybe Nabiki and Kasumi had been bluffing when they threatened to tell the youngest Tendo, he settled down and nuzzled into Akane's chest content that things were back to normal._

_The raven haired girl fought down the urge to vomit or throw the pervert down the stairs and maintained her composure. Her plan depended on Ryoga not suspecting what she was really up to until it was too late. Stepping into the bathroom she grabbed P-chan by his collar and threw him into the hot bath that was waiting for him. While Ryoga was flying through the air in confusion, Akane grabbed the Saotome honor blade and unsheathed it and held it out in front of her for when the pig would become a perverted boy._

_Ryoga hit the water in surprise and freaked out as his body changed. If he remembered things correctly he knew he was in trouble. He stayed under the water for a few moments but soon his lungs screamed at him to breath. The lost boy surfaced but before he could breathe what little air remained within him was expelled as he gasped in surprise. He froze in fear when he saw Nodoka's naked blade pointed at his throat just barely touching it. The person wielding the sword was none other than his love interest, Akane Tendo. _

"_Hello pervert", Akane said in a deathly calm voice with an icy smile on her face._

"A-Akane?", Ryoga stammered, too afraid to move anything but his mouth at the moment.

"No", Akane said sarcastically, "You are having a nightmare and I am merely a figment of your imagination."

"Oh", Ryoga said and sighed in relief as he started to raise his hand in order to move the sword away from his throat. He pulled back when he suddenly felt the blade knick his flesh. His hand moved to the side of his neck and felt what could only be blood between his fingers. His face paled at the realization that he was in very real danger. Akane wasn't afraid to use her sword to draw blood after all.

"Idiot", Akane hissed as she repositioned the sword so that it was pointed directly at the middle of his throat again. "You will not leave here until I am satisfied pervert. What do you have to say for yourself and your actions for the last year and a half?"

"There is nothing I can say other than that I am truly sorry…", Ryoga said slowly.

"Sorry?!", Akane screamed as her battle aura exploded, wreathing her body in dark red fire as she shook in uncontrollable rage. The lost boy backed away in sudden fear and in order to avoid being impaled by the Tendo girl's jerky movements.

Akane glared at the lost boy in contempt and snarled, "If you were truly sorry you wouldn't have done it in the first place you dishonorable, perverted piece of shit! You could have stopped it at any time, been a real man and told me the truth! But no, you knew I would never love you as a person so you used and defiled me all for a cheap thrill! Was it good for you because it'll be the last pair you ever touch you despicable pervert."

"I-It wasn't like that!", Ryoga protested before the sword found his throat again and he stopped talking.

"Oh really?", Akane said sarcastically, her normally sweet voice dripping with venom as her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Just what was it like then and don't you dare say any of this was Ranma's fault. _You_ didn't make it to the lot on time for your bread duel. _You_ followed him to China like the idiot that you are. _You_ chose to be a dishonorable pig and a coward in order to molest me. No pervert, this is entirely all _your_ fault and I will have my revenge on you for what you've done."

"W-What do you plan to do?", Ryoga stammered as he backed away to the other side of the bathtub. Akane couldn't help but see his manhood underneath the water and shuddered violently as she felt like throwing up again. The raven haired girl didn't want to see any guy naked at the moment and especially not the pervert who had misused his curse in order to molest and spy on her.

"First of all I want you to put some clothes on. I really don't want to see you naked and you are showing me way too much right now bacon breath. The only guy I would want to see naked is Ranma when he is my husband", Akane said a little softer as she allowed her Soul of Ice to calm her down a little. The raven haired girl slowed her breathing in order to get her anger under control and her blood red aura died down.

Akane walked out of the bathing room and into the changing room. There she opened the door and yelled, "Can someone get some clothes for pig boy please? He is defiling our tub with his nudity and I really don't want to see the pervert naked anymore."

Kasumi rounded the corner a few moments later and said, "I found his pack earlier Akane but I couldn't lift it. I can get some clothes out of it though if you want or I could ask Ranma to bring the pack to you."

The raven haired girl thought for a moment, not really sure she wanted to see her fiancé at the moment and said, "No that's okay. I don't really want to see Ranma right now. I might do something I'll regret later when I'm not mad at him anymore. If you would just bring some clothes I'd appreciate it."

Kasumi left in order to grab some clothes from Ryoga's pack while Akane walked back into the bathing room and stood by the door. Ryoga sat in the tub looking terribly uncomfortable and the raven haired girl gave him an icy smile and watched in amusement as he squirmed.

"So pervert", Akane said and laughed maliciously when he flinched, "I'm still waiting to hear what you have to say for yourself in regards to your actions. I've asked Kasumi to bring you some clothes because the sight of seeing you naked is making me sick. If it wasn't I would let you sit there completely nude and uncomfortable for a long time. Maybe you'd understand a little of how I feel."

"I never watched you change…", Ryoga protested.

"Bullshit!", Akane said heatedly with a hint of malice in her tone as she walked towards him and raised her sword again. "Try telling me the truth pig boy, and maybe I won't make pork buns out of you."

The lost boy's complexion paled and he lowered his head and said, "Fine. I didn't watch you change every time, but I did at first. You are so beautiful and I am…'

"A pervert", Akane interrupted crossly as her eyes narrowed in anger. "You nuzzled and felt my chest. You used things I said in confidence against Ranma and me and poisoned our relationship with your hateful lies."

"He doesn't deserve you…", Ryoga stated to say only to be cut off again.

"And you do?", Akane interrupted as she brandished her weapon menacingly mere centimeters from his nose.

"He was always insulting you and belittling your abilities. I would never do that to you", the lost boy countered, confident she would understand why he was a better choice for a boyfriend, conveniently forgetting about one little important detail.

"No, you only did something far worse", the raven haired girl replied scathingly. "Ranma never purposefully molested me…"

"I didn't either!", Ryoga yelled attempting to protest his innocence.

"Shut up!", Akane thundered as she leveled the blade at his throat again, breaking the skin just a little bit. She smiled wickedly as she watched a little bit of the red liquid flow onto the tip of the sword and Ryoga's eyes widened in fear.

"You want to know why I did what I did or are you going to interrupt me again?", Ryoga asked sarcastically trying to mask how scared he really was with a bravado he did not feel.

"I've only been asking that since the beginning", Akane said harshly and watched as the lost boy rolled his eyes as she narrowed hers and growled, "Fine. Talk."

"Alright, perhaps it was my fault following Ranma to China and winding up at Jusenkyo", Ryoga said as Akane just rolled her eyes and scoffed at the 'perhaps' part. "He didn't have to push me into one of the springs though. If he had been paying any attention at all he could have avoided knocking me off the cliff."

Akane snorted and motioned for him to continue. Ryoga nodded and said, "After that, a large panda pulled me out of the spring and threw me in a pot of boiling water in order to cook me."

The raven haired girl's eyes widened and her anger at Genma intensified, the bastard had known all along and didn't say anything to anyone. She knew it wasn't because of honor or anything like that seeing as how the elder Saotome didn't have any. Why would he have kept it a secret unless it had to do with joining of the schools perhaps by making Ranma jealous? She wondered idly if her own father knew the whole time as well and started to feel nauseous again. Genma she could see doing something underhandedly like that but her own father?

"Okay", Akane said slowly, "You followed Ranma to get revenge for some bread and 'running' out on a duel. He accidentally knocked you off the cliff while he was chasing his father. I can see you being upset with him for that, but Genma was the one who wanted to eat you and yet you are not mad at him at all are you?"

Ryoga pondered the girl's words for a moment and shook his head. "If it wasn't for Ranma…"

"Quit blaming Ranma and accept responsibility for your own decisions. Man up pig boy", Akane said as she glared at the lost boy before saying, "Okay, so at this point you are cursed and are still in China. I'm willing to bet that sometime between here and there you spent quite some time as a pig."

Ryoga nodded and said, "It was hell. I was nearly eaten well over a dozen times and thanks to my directional curse I had a lot of trouble getting back to Japan. The only thing that kept me going was my revenge on Ranma. I finally found him only for him to run away again…"

"Correction", Akane said sternly, "He was standing right there when you ran into the school and got lost. When you came back you fought him with no regard for innocent bystanders at all and cut my hair off you asshole. Then you attacked him at night while he was sleeping. What kind of dishonorable thug are you? Oh wait, I know because then you used your curse to get close to me and became a pervert as well as a coward."

"You were the first person in a very long time to show me any affection at all", Ryoga replied. "I haven't seen my parents in years and I am always wandering alone because I keep getting lost. You were so warm and kind to me and I latched onto you and didn't want to let you go. Then I found out you were engaged to that honorless bastard Ranma who I hated more than anything and tried to break you two up. Apparently I wasn't very successful since you tried to get married the other day. Tell me something, did you want to marry him or was that all your parents' idea?"

Akane glared at the lost boy and said heatedly, "That is none of your business. It doesn't matter what is or is not going on between Ranma and me as far as you are concerned. I once thought of you as a friend. I will never consider you a friend, let alone anything more than that ever again pork butt. You have betrayed my trust and I don't ever want to see you again."

"What about Ranma?", Ryoga growled angrily, "He knew the whole time and never told you."

Akane chuckled darkly and shook her head, "I don't know why he didn't tell me straight out but I should have realized you and P-chan were the same. You both get lost really easily and you wear your bandanas on your head or around your neck depending on form. Ranma was always calling you pig related names to your face and when I held you as P-chan he was always calling you Ryoga. I feel like such an idiot for not picking that up. Even still, you should have been honorable enough to tell me."

"I was afraid you would hate me", Ryoga said softly.

"Guess what bacon breath", Akane snarled coldly, "I do hate you and I want you to leave and never return. If you come back, I will take you to the vet and have you neutered, not that any girl will ever want a pig like you anyway."

Ryoga felt the blood drain out of his face for a moment before thinking smugly, '_That's where you're wrong Akane_. _I still have Akari I can fall back on…_'

There was a polite knock on the door then and Akane walked over in order to answer it. When she opened the door Kasumi was there with Ryoga's pack. She was about to ask how when she caught a whiff of a familiar scent and smiled for a small moment before grabbing the pack and throwing it into the bathing room. The aroma she had picked up was a hint of female Ranma's unique scent which also explained how Kasumi had gotten the lost boy's pack to the changing room.

"Get dressed pig boy", Akane yelled back angrily into the room and then closed the door and faced her sister as she sighed heavily. The youngest Tendo felt nearly completely drained from her emotions and wanted to lay down for awhile. She was so tired of dealing with Ryoga and just wanted him to disappear like he had a tendency to do. Perhaps in a few years when she and Ranma were happily married and in college she could stand the pig's presence. They could talk like the friends she thought mistakenly that they were but she suspected P-chan would always be a sore spot with her. Akane went over to the sink and washed Ryoga's blood from the katana and carefully dried it.

Kasumi noticed of course and gasped as she asked quietly, "How badly did you cut him?"

"Huh?", Akane asked in confusion before she remembered actually hitting the lost boy a couple of times, "Oh, not too badly. I nicked him a couple of times when he was being particularly obstinate but nothing remotely life threatening. He heals almost as quickly as Ranma does so he'll be fine soon enough. I don't want to see him again for a long time. Will you get rid of him for me?"

The two Tendo girls walked into the bathing room where Ryoga was fully dressed, apparently waiting for Akane to come back in and interrogate him further. The raven haired girl sighed as she picked up the katana scabbard and replaced the sword before turning on her heel without a word and walked out.

"Kasumi?", Ryoga said cautiously as the elder daughter switched her gaze from her sister to the dishonorable pig in front of her, "What's going to happen now?"

"You, pig boy, are going to leave this house and never return", Kasumi said sternly and grabbed him by the arm. At his questioning glance she sighed and said, "We can't have you getting lost in a closet now can we." Ryoga hung his head and nodded meekly as Kasumi continued, "I will escort you to the gate and then you are on your own. Akane never wants to see you again and frankly neither do I nor does Nabiki. I can't imagine Ranma cares much for your presence either considering all the trouble you've caused."

* * *

><p>The oldest Tendo daughter and the lost boy walked through the house and out towards the gate in silence. Once they were both at the gate, Kasumi pushed him through and said, "I, Kasumi Tendo, matriarch of the Tendo clan do hereby banish you forever from the Tendo estate. If I catch you here again, especially as P-chan, I will take you to the vet and have you neutered. Am I clear?"<p>

Ryoga nodded his head in understanding having already heard that threat. He turned in a random direction thinking he should go visit Akari but was fairly certain he would wind up in Okinawa or someplace even more ridiculous. The lost boy was feeling depressed and wondered about the plan he had thought up the night of the failed wedding when he was really angry at Ranma and wanted revenge. He sighed knowing that it wouldn't change anything as far as he was concerned. Akane would never want to be with him even if Ranma was locked as a girl forever and they had to dissolve their engagement. Unless…

'_After I lock Ranma's curse I could maybe get another one of those Koi rods and make sure I hit Akane with it this time. Then, they will have to break up and he can watch helplessly as Akane falls in love with me. We'll marry quickly and my ultimate revenge will be complete…_', Ryoga thought evilly as he burst out laughing maniacally. The townspeople nearby just looked at the weird boy like he was insane and went about their business.

* * *

><p>While Kasumi and Akane were talking in the elder sister's bedroom, Ranma was in his room pacing back and forth trying to figure out what he wanted to do. In the end he might not have a choice since he didn't know if Akane would try to kill him, ignore him, or worse, break up with him. The outlook was grim and for the millionth time that day he was kicking himself mentally for not dealing with the whole P-chan thing a lot better more than a year ago.<p>

'_Who would have thought last year that Akane and I would actually be in love with one another?_', Ranma mused as he pulled out his backpack and checked to make sure that his tent, bedroll and cooking equipment were all present and intact. He went over to his dresser and pulled out several days worth of clothes as well as a one piece swimsuit. As he packed he wondered idly what sort of punishments the Tendo sisters had in store for him and thought a week long banishment would be better. He knew Akane wouldn't want to see him and would need time so he thought he was doing the right thing by leaving.

Ranma grabbed a set of clothes and his bathing supplies and set out downstairs in order to take a bath. He would write the letter afterwards to minimize the chance that someone, namely Nabiki, of finding it in the meantime. As he passed by the middle Tendo's room he heard her call to him and he was tempted to just keep going without acknowledging the girl. Ultimately he decided to see what she wanted as Nabiki had a tendency to make life more of a hassle to those that ignored her.

He poked his head through the doorway and asked, "Yeah?"

"Ranma", Nabiki said in a friendly manner which of course immediately raised a red flag for him, "Will you come in here for a little bit? I would like to talk to you."

"Can it wait?", Ranma replied neutrally, "I was going to take a bath."

Nabiki thought for a moment, wondering how much time the martial artist had before Akane would need the bathing room for her confrontation with P-chan. She shook her head and said, "I don't think that's a good idea right now, especially if you plan to be in there for awhile."

"Why?", Ranma asked as he walked inside the middle Tendo's room and closed the door.

"If I know my little sister", Nabiki replied slowly, "she is going to be using the bath in a little bit in order to expose P-chan so she can see him change for herself."

"Oh", Ranma replied as he sat down on the corner of her bed and frowned. "I guess I'll wait until she's killed pig boy then. She can kill me right afterwards."

"I really don't think she'll actually kill either one of you", Nabiki replied and prayed to Kami-sama she was right. "You might want to avoid her for a few days though and give her some space."

Ranma nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yeah I know. I had planned to do just that and hoped she would be willing to talk by Friday."

"Oh?", Nabiki asked slyly as she arched an eyebrow in amusement, "And just what did you have planned for my little sister this weekend, a hot date?"

"No", Ranma shook his head and said, "We made plans to go on a training trip this coming weekend where I was going to help her like I promised yesterday morning."

Nabiki shook her head in distaste and said, "I suppose for a pair of martial artists a weekend training trip could be considered a hot date you sly dog. You do realize though that my older sister will never allow the two of you to go alone. I know your father and mine will encourage it since all they care about is the joining of the two schools but Kasumi will consider it improper since you aren't married."

"Yeah", Ranma nodded his head and replied casually, "I thought about that and figured there were two options. One, she could come with us and hopefully save us from Akane's cooking. Or two, I could swear on my honor that I would remain a girl the entire time. I suppose we could do it both ways really."

"I know you take honor very seriously", Nabiki replied evenly and then muttered, "A little too seriously if you ask me, especially in regards to P-chan honestly."

The middle Tendo then spoke up again and said, "I also know that if you were to swear upon your honor to remain a girl the whole time, you would do so unless circumstances beyond your control changed you back into a guy. Seeing as how hot water accidents generally are fairly rare I would find that scenario rather unlikely."

Nabiki smirked and rubbed her hands together as she said slyly, "Of course, we could make it so that you didn't have to worry about hot water at all for a little awhile."

"How?", Ranma asked, almost afraid of the answer. He wasn't quite sure he would be willing to lock his curse even temporarily. What if it became permanent? The pony tailed young man didn't hate being Ranma Saotome, man amongst men that much to want to get rid of that side of himself permanently. He just liked to take a break from it now and again and his girl side was very helpful in that regard.

"Kasumi picked up some waterproof soap from Cologne earlier today", Nabiki replied and handed the soap to her stunned housemate. "She had planned to switch out your soap without telling you as a form of punishment but I told her that was a bad idea. We don't need you freaking out and going crazy because you we're locked again before running off for a cure or something when we have enough to deal with already."

Ranma looked at the soap in his hand carefully as he chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah, I probably would have done all of that or worse. I take it the old crone doesn't know about the boycott or lawsuit yet if you're asking her for help to lock my curse even temporarily."

"No she doesn't, or shouldn't", Nabiki said calmly before her voice turned steely, "And she isn't going to find out from you, right?"

"Of course not", Ranma replied indignantly as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Do you really think I _want_ them around? If this plan of yours gets rid of all three of them as well as Kodachi and Ukyo I am all for it."

"Good", Nabiki said as she smiled warmly. It wasn't a smile Ranma could ever recall seeing on the middle Tendo's face except that afternoon when she genuinely thanked him for stopping Ukyo's attack. It was a smile born of happiness and friendship and it unnerved him. He wasn't used to the idea that Nabiki could actually be nice.

"Now Ranma", the middle Tendo said with a shark grin on her face, "I would like to discuss your punishment for withholding P-chan from us. I want you to become my model for awhile. Don't worry, I won't be selling them to the perverts at school and they will be tasteful. In fact, maybe we could send your portfolio to a modeling agency and you could do it professionally, assuming you wanted to."

"What's the point of that?", Ranma asked as he felt the blood drain out of his face. He assumed she wanted him to model in his girl form and could just imagine all of the different dresses and weird outfits she would have him wear.

"The point is to broaden your horizons", Nabiki replied and sighed heavily. "Right now martial arts is about the only thing you do or think about. There are many other things in life worth doing and you should really have other interests and hobbies. Take Akane for instance, she loves martial arts but she is also a member of the gymnastics team and the drama club. You're way too one-dimensional Ranma and I realize that is the panda's fault since he told you everything but martial arts was worthless. Well, he's wrong about that as well as everything else and I think you know that already."

Ranma nodded and sighed, "Yeah. I would like to do other things other than martial arts some times. I'm good at it and I enjoy it, but sometimes I just want to do something else. Trouble is I wouldn't know where to even begin to think where to start. I've never really done anything else because of the panda."

"Well", Nabiki drawled, "Why not try modeling? I won't make you look bad I promise. You know how good I am with a camera after all."

The black haired boy sighed and hung his head as he said, "Fine. I take it you want me to be a girl for this?"

"Of course", the middle Tendo smiled her trade mark shark grin. "Now go and get changed young lady. I will have an outfit ready for you by the time you come back."

* * *

><p>Ranma sighed in resignation and walked down the stairs towards the kitchen where he could get some colder water from the tap. He ran the water for a few moments before he felt the change wash over him as he became a she. The red haired girl sighed again and jumped nearly three meters in the air in fright when she heard a blood curdling scream followed by a very angry and unbelieving, "Sorry?!"<p>

The Saotome heiress knew that voice and shuddered. She was really glad she wasn't in Ryoga's position at the moment as Akane was laying into the lost boy in the bathing room. Ranma decided she would avoid that part of the house as much as possible for now.

That was until she heard Akane yell out, "Can someone get some clothes for pig boy please? He is defiling our tub with his nudity and I really don't want to see the pervert naked anymore."

Ranma walked out of the kitchen and noticed Kasumi turn the corner heading for the changing room. The two girls nearly ran into one another and looked at one another for a second before the eldest daughter continued on. Ranma headed back for the stairs when the eldest daughter caught up with her and asked if she would carry Ryoga's pack to the changing room for her. The red haired girl nodded and the two of them found the lost boy's insanely heavy backpack. Ranma had no problems carrying it back and dropped it off inside the changing room. Kasumi was about to knock on the door to the bathing room and the red haired girl bolted in order to keep Akane from seeing her.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Ranma walked back into Nabiki's room and frowned. Apparently she was going to be dressing up in a few different outfits for while. The middle Tendo had pulled out all sorts of dresses along with some other things and had some of them laying on the bed while others were hanging on the door.<p>

"Alright Ranma", Nabiki said silkily as she grinned her traditional shark grin, "You are going to have to wear regular girl's undergarments for this. I trust you have some in your room from before?"

Ranma sighed and nodded her head as she left the room wondering just how she had gotten roped into her latest predicament. Walking into her room, the red haired girl went to her secret stash of girl's clothes and found a suitable white bra and panty set. Nabiki was providing the rest of the outfit so she didn't think she would need anything else. Ranma quickly stripped off her Chinese outfit, boxers and tank top and stared at her nude body in the mirror for a few moments. Closing her eyes briefly she slid on the panties and the bra. Her breasts thanked her for the support and the panties really didn't feel all that bad hugging her womanhood. She grabbed a robe and put it on before heading back to Nabiki's room.

When the Saotome heiress walked back into her room, Nabiki smiled and said, "Alright Ranma, go ahead and pick an outfit and let's see how you look in it."

Ranma looked around and her eyes settled on a black cocktail dress that was probably somewhat of a mini-skirt on a taller girl. The red-head smirked and thought it would at least make it to her knees due to her height. She slid out of the robe and blushed when Nabiki whistled at her.

"Looking good Ranma", the middle Tendo teased as she took in her housemate's generous curves. Her brown eyes wandered over the smaller girl's body and Ranma shivered, suddenly feeling like a piece of meat under the mercenary girl's piercing gaze. The red haired girl wondered if Nabiki was at least somewhat of a lesbian with the way she was looking at her and licking her lips. Shaking her head trying to clear it of those kinds of thoughts, she picked up the cocktail dress and slipped into it.

"Allow me", Nabiki breathed softly into Ranma's ear as she took hold off the zipper and slowly raised it while cupping Ranma's ass with her other hand which startled the younger girl. As she raised the zipper, the middle Tendo's other hand rose up her back causing the red-head to shiver. The only one that was supposed to touch her like this was her girlfriend and Ranma felt very uneasy about the whole situation. How would Akane react if she walked in on them right now? This was just the type of compromising situation she used to find herself in all the time and the raven haired girl hadn't been too understanding then. Akane really wouldn't be understanding now if she found her girlfriend with her sister on top of the P-chan betrayal.

"Nabiki, please stop touching me like that", Ranma pleaded as she turned around and looked into the older girl's brown eyes, "If Akane sees us like this she's going to feel even more betrayed than she already does and she'll want to kill me even more. Please, just stop."

The middle Tendo pouted but knew Ranma was right. As angry as Akane was at Ryoga for the moment it really wouldn't take much for her little sister to re-direct her anger at either one of them. Kama-sama knew they didn't need that at the moment. Nabiki finished zipping up Ranma's dress and looked her over and nodded approvingly as she led the shorter girl over towards the mirror.

Ranma looked at herself and couldn't believe how good the dress looked on her. The skirt fell to a point just below her knees while the dress hugged her hips and waist very nicely while the sleeves stopped just short of her elbows. Her eyes wandered over the bodice which showed a tiny bit of her cleavage, at least until she leaned over. Ranma tested the theory and leaned over somewhat and sure enough, she could see her bra covered breasts completely as the dress fell away from her body. She frowned and thought the stark contrast between the black dress and the white undergarments was a little off putting. If she wanted to pull off this look she would need some black underwear so it wouldn't be so obvious. Ranma giggled slightly at the direction her thoughts were drifting to and shook her head in bewilderment. It was almost like she was at least partially a real girl when she changed.

'_Hmm_', Ranma thought as she continued to admire herself in the mirror, '_I wonder if my curse is acting up all of a sudden now. I don't recall ever really thinking like a girl before when I changed, at least not until recently. I can't really ask the old ghoul about it though since she still wants me to marry her great granddaughter and would do something to keep me from becoming a girl._'

"Very nice Ranma", Nabiki said as she clapped lightly. "That dress looks absolutely stunning on you. Now, if we add a pair of heels, a ribbon for your hair, some make-up and a necklace I think you could outshine anyone. This will be a great way to start out your modeling career."

"Thanks", Ranma replied as she smiled radiantly and turned to look at herself in the mirror again. Her hands smoothed out the dress and her bright blue eyes sparkled with a couple of unshed tears. The red-head didn't know why she was reacting the way that she was and didn't particularly care either. She felt beautiful and desirable which in turn made her feel a lot better about her life in general. She didn't feel like she had Ranma Saotome, man amongst men and it was so incredibly liberating.

Nabiki looked at her housemate and found herself in a quandary. On one hand the dress really didn't fit her all that well anymore and it would be put to better use by either Ranma or Akane. On the other, she didn't really want to give anything away for free as it was bad for business. The middle Tendo idly wondered when she had even gotten the dress. Was it hers from middle school or was it actually Akane's and she had 'borrowed' it once and had 'forgotten' to return it?

Before she could continue the thought further, the girls heard what sounded like very angry shouting and another woman's alarmed voice from downstairs. Nabiki and Ranma traded glances and ran out of the room in order to see what was going on.

* * *

><p>Akane walked into the living room and was about to replace the Saotome honor blade on the mantle when she noticed her father and Mr. Saotome still at the Shogi table. She felt her rage boil up within her again and unsheathed the blade. Nodoka noticed this and quickly ran over towards the raven haired girl.<p>

"Akane!", Nodoka said in alarm, "What are you doing?"

"Your bastard husband and my father knew about P-chan all along!", Akane shouted angrily as her body was once again wreathed in a dark red flame. Kasumi walked in at about this time and overheard what her younger sister had said and turned unforgiving eyes on her father as well.

"What is this about, husband?", Nodoka said darkly as she grabbed the katana from Akane's hands and finished walking over towards the two men. Nabiki walked down the stairs with Ranma in tow at this point, wondering what all the shouting was about.

Ranma froze when she saw her fiancée's super angry aura and fled back up the stairs, not sure what was going on. She definitely didn't want to be anywhere near by and decided to retreat to her room. Nabiki noticed but didn't comment as she walked up to her older sister and quietly asked what was going on. Due to the theme of the evening, she definitely didn't want to be near her younger sister especially when she looked like she was going to explode.

"Is this true father?", Kasumi asked with a frown on her face. "Did you really know that Ryoga was P-chan all along?"

"Wait, what?", Nodoka asked confused.

"Akane", Kasumi said gently as she walked over and hugged the girl, "Why don't you leave this to us this time. You've been through too much today and I can see how strained you are. Maybe you should go take a bath and see if you can't relax."

The raven haired girl looked up at her older sister and nodded as her aura vanished. She was much too tired to really be angry anymore and felt nearly completely drained. Taking a long soak in the tub sounded really appealing. With one last glare at Genma she walked up the stairs to her room so she could grab a pair of pajamas and her bathing supplies.

After Akane left the room all eyes and scowls turned towards the men. Kasumi and Nabiki crossed their arms over their chests and began tapping their foot. Nodoka tapped her katana, walked up to her husband and grabbed him by his ear before dragging him away from the table. A look of sorrow crossed over Soun's features and he bowed his head in shame.

"It's true", Soun replied sadly. "It was our hope that Ranma would get jealous of the affection Akane was showing P-chan in order to bring them together."

"You are such a fool Daddy", Kasumi said reproachfully as she shook her head. "Don't you realize that you caused the opposite to happen? If you and Mr. Saotome weren't always trying to push those two together I think they might have become a couple a long time ago. They were so afraid you would force them to marry at the first hint of them showing any affection for one another. Even now they are just friends and that's only because they have been through so much together."

"How could you let that pervert sleep with your daughter?", Nabiki snarled as she clenched her fists.

"Wait", Soun paled and said nervously, "He slept with you? I thought he only stayed in Akane's room at the foot of her bed or something."

"No", Nabiki replied scornfully, "P-chan never slept in my bed thankfully and I do not know if he slept in Kasumi's bed", Nabiki paused and looked at her sister who shook her head as she continued, "but I do know for a fact that he slept in Akane's bed nuzzled between her breasts as though he was just a pet and not a boy."

"They didn't sleep together as humans did they?", Soun said hesitantly as he feared he would have to insist that his youngest marry Ryoga if the two of them had in fact had had sex with one another in order to preserve the family honor. He couldn't fathom his baby girl cheating on Ranma like that and hoped he was just imagining things.

"To my knowledge", Nabiki said angrily, "They never did anything like that. Ryoga dishonorably used his curse to be a pervert and a molester but I don't think the two of them ever had sex with one another. Akane never saw Ryoga as anything more than an acquaintance that seemed to have an unhealthy obsession and hatred towards Ranma. I seriously doubt she'll ever want to be friends with the lost boy now."

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Ranma ran into her room looking frantic and thought she should just leave then while everyone else was busy. The red haired girl definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of Akane's blood red fiery aura. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. A cocktail dress was definitely not suitable traveling attire and there was no time to take a bath to change back either. She needed to go, now.<p>

'_Shouldn't I leave her a letter telling her that I am giving her time and space so I don't ruin her life anymore?_', Ranma thought to herself as she stripped out of the dress and put on her red Chinese shirt and black pants she had been wearing earlier. The red-head left the female undergarments on since she knew she wasn't going to be changing back into a guy anytime soon. She was about to grab her pack when she stopped, honor demanding that she stay and face the consequences of her decisions. Running away was something her father would do and she wanted to be nothing like the lazy and honorless panda.

Ranma headed towards Nabiki's room and picked up the her bathing supplies, robe and towel she had brought in earlier when she had been originally going to take a bath. When she walked out of the middle Tendo's room that's when she saw someone she really didn't want to see at the moment. She felt the blood drain out of her face as she nearly whispered fearfully, "Akane…"

Akane looked at her housemate and raised an eyebrow in curiosity at the other girl's expression and the fear she saw in her eyes. She looked at the bathing supplies in the red-head's hands as well as her own and sighed. The raven haired girl was tired of being angry and just wanted to relax in the bathtub while her sisters laid into her father about his role in keeping P-chan a secret. She also wanted to talk to Ranma and find out why he had done what he did. Since she really couldn't get angry anymore that night, perhaps now would be the best time to get the truth from her, what, girlfriend? Friend? What was Ranma to her now in light of what happened recently as opposed to the wonderful time she had had with the girl the day before.

"Ranma…", Akane said softly, a slight quivering to her voice which caused the red-head's eyebrows to shoot up in alarm. Ranma couldn't tell if the raven haired girl in front of her was going to break down and cry, slug her, or both and it was unnerving.

"I'm sorry", Ranma said quietly and started to head back towards her room so that Akane could have the first bath. She felt a light touch on her arm which encouraged her to stop and turn around. The red-haired girl looked back at the youngest Tendo in confusion and noticed her brown eyes beginning to shimmer as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks.

"Ranma", Akane said again even quieter, "Can I talk to you please?"

To say she was surprised was an understatement and Ranma couldn't help but think something was really off with her fiancée. The nervous girl in front of her was nothing like the incredibly angry typhoon she had been minutes earlier downstairs. Ranma nodded and then asked where she wanted to talk and when.

"Now", Akane said in a stronger voice and dragged the other girl into her bedroom. She closed and locked the door before sitting on her bed with her hands buried in her hands trying to collect her thoughts. Ranma nervously sat down on the bed looking down at the floor and waited patiently for the other girl to do something, she wasn't sure what.

"I want to be angry with you", Akane said in an unsteady voice as she looked over at her female companion, "but I am tired of being angry tonight. I just don't have it in me anymore. I want to understand why you never told me straight out that Ryoga and P-chan were the same. I want to believe that it wasn't some sick game between the two of you where you laugh at the clueless tomboy."

"It was nothing like that I swear", Ranma said sadly as she turned so she could look at her friend, her own blue eyes shimmering. "I am deeply and truly sorry Akane. I will do anything that you ask in an effort to make this up to you. I know that this is pretty much unforgivable and I can only pray that you'll find it within your heart to forgive me, eventually. I was going to leave for awhile in order to give you time and space without me around to mess up your life anymore. If you want me out of your life for good, I will leave and never return."

"I don't want you out of my life Ranma", Akane said sadly as she inched forward and took her girlfriend's hands into her own completely surprising the red-head. The last thing she expected was for the raven haired girl to show her any sort of affection. Ranma rubbed her eyes briefly to remove the tears that had gathered there.

Akane continued and said, "I know you are sorry for what you've done, thank you, but I want to understand why you did what you did. We can go back and forth blaming each other for all of our problems like we did in the past and fight all the time, or", Akane paused and smiled warmly as she gently squeezed her girlfriend's hands, "we can work through this and everything else together."

"R-Really?", Ranma asked incredulously as a bright flare of hope pierced her gloomy state of mind. She could feel the warmth emulating from the youngest Tendo's hands and wondered if she was dreaming. This was the opposite reaction she had expected when the two of them encountered one another so soon after the incident and wasn't sure she could believe it was real.

"I still love you Ranma", Akane said as she smiled and embraced her girlfriend in a fierce hug, "I told you last night that no matter how mad I am at you for something that I would always love you and I meant it."

"I love you too", Ranma replied as she returned the hug and the two girls melted together for a few moments before the raven haired girl roughly pushed her fiancé away from her and created space between them.

"Now buster", Akane said in a voice edged in steel as she glared at her red haired best friend, "This doesn't mean I have forgiven you. I want to understand why you did it, and I want to understand it right now. Then, maybe, I can work on forgiving you if I think you deserve another chance."

Ranma gulped and nodded slowly as she gathered her thoughts. The red-head sighed heavily and said, "Alright, you know about the bread feud and how Ryoga followed me to Jusenkyo nearly two years ago. While Pop and I were there I accidentally knocked Ryoga off the cliff and into one of the cursed pools. After that, we had a fight where you lost your hair."

The Saotome heiress looked down at the bedspread at this point but looked up again when she felt a hand on her arm.

Akane said softly, "I don't blame you for that Ranma." A smile crossed the raven haired girl's face and she said, "I yelled at pig boy earlier for it though."

Ranma quirked a smile at her girlfriend's use of the pig insult like she had done so many times before and continued, "Shortly after that he attacked me in the middle of the night. Now, when I thought your neighbor's dog was Ryoga, I made a mental warrior's promise not to expose his secret. Then I saw you cuddling with a small black pig and you asked me to give it a bath. I was shocked when the pig turned out to be Ryoga but still felt compelled to keep the mental promise I had made on my honor."

The red haired girl sighed as she paused, knowing the next part was going to be hard. "After that, you took him as your pet. I tried to tell you that it was Ryoga but you wouldn't listen and then you did the unthinkable. You kissed him on the snout and it hurt me in a way I didn't even realize was possible at the time. I didn't handle it very well and I stormed off in anger since I couldn't deal with the pain of seeing you kiss Ryoga. Later that night, I snuck into your room with a kettle and threatened to expose Ryoga right then and there unless he came along quietly. Well, we got into a fight and he knocked me into you. Of course you woke up and saw only your perverted freakish fiancé laying on top of you and naturally you began attacking me with your shinai while the pig watched in glee. I told you then and there that the pig was Ryoga but you wouldn't listen and then you punted me out of your window."

Akane looked down at her bedspread in shame as she had recalled the same instance earlier. It wasn't that Ranma had never told her about P-chan/Ryoga, it was that she never believed him, never trusted him to not be a pervert until recently. She really couldn't stay mad at Ranma after all for she was just as guilty of the problems they had faced as he was. Apparently the red haired girl in front of her knew that she would never believe her and stopped trying to convince her. Instead Ranma had tried to protect her from herself and Ryoga as much as possible and all she did was hit the smaller girl for it. Some girlfriend she was, attacking the person she loved when all that person was trying to do was protect her and get her to see the truth.

"Since then", Ranma sighed as she paused, "I have tried many times to tell you about him but you never believed me. You always accused me of picking on P-chan or starting fights with Ryoga but in reality he was always attacking me. He was trying to split us up and it worked for the most part. We never really got along when pig breath was around even when I tried to ignore him. He would always start something and our vicious cycle started all over again."

"I know", Akane said sadly as tears spilled down her cheeks from her shimmering brown eyes. "I'm so sorry Ranma. Despite knowing so many people cursed to turn into animals I just couldn't believe that Ryoga would do what he did. I blocked out all of the obvious clues and everything you said because I didn't want you to be right. I wanted to believe you were pathetic enough to be jealous of a pig because I didn't want to admit to myself how I really felt about you. I used P-chan to push you away just like the lying pig wanted and I am so sorry."

Ranma was shocked, here she thought when they sat down to talk Akane would break up with her, tell her she never wanted to see her again, beaten senseless, something. Instead her girlfriend not only still said she loved her but was now apologizing to her? The red-head pinched herself to see if she was dreaming and yelped in pain as she had pinched too hard.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Akane", Ranma said as she cupped her girlfriend's face and used her thumbs to wipe away some of her tears. "If the situation was reversed, I don't know if I would have believed you either."

"Baka", Akane said teasingly, "You're just saying that in order to help me feel better."

"Maybe", Ranma said sheepishly as she shrugged her shoulders just before she got her second surprise of the evening.

Akane stared into her girlfriend's eyes and smiled for a few moments before she tackled the smaller girl on her bed. Ranma let out a small squeak in surprise before she found her mouth under attack from Akane's relentless assault. The two girls kissed one another passionately as they let go of the mental anguish that had plagued them all day as well as their insecurities. They pressed their chests together as they kissed one another with a passion that rivaled that of the day before at the Meiji Shrine.

Ranma moaned appreciably and her hands wandered over her girlfriend's back. Akane took advantage of the red-head's opened mouth and slid her tongue through the opening. The Saotome heiress gasped and the raven haired girl deepened the kiss as she inched up Ranma's body in order to kiss her fiancé from a better angle. She felt their breasts rub against one another and she noticed a sensation of pleasure across her nipples as they hardened underneath her bra. Akane noted absently that her female companion that was normally a guy was wearing a bra for some reason but pushed the thought aside. It would just be one more article of clothing to remove if they decided to go a little further that night.

The two girls intermingled their tongues and sucked in each other's air as they intensified their kisses. They breathed in each other's pheromones and found their womanhoods were beginning to moisten and a warm fire ignited in their loins. A red, pink and white aura shimmered into existence around them as their inner passions ignited in a blazing surge of energy that threatened to overtake them. They moaned together and felt the internal warmth turn into a raging wildfire that spread throughout their bodies in a powerful wave of heat and pleasure. The Ki-kiss intensified and Ranma slipped her hands underneath Akane's blouse around her hips and felt the other girl's creamy smooth skin underneath her fingers. Akane moaned appreciably at the warmth and felt a tingling sensation at every point of contact between them as she placed her hands on the swells of Ranma's breasts. The raven haired girl thought about unbuttoning her girlfriend's shirt but wasn't sure Ranma was ready for that. There was also the ever present danger of being spied on by their family just outside the door and their moans would only get louder if they continued.

Reluctantly, Akane broke the kiss and whispered into her girlfriend's ear, "I think we should stop for now Ranma. I am deeply enjoying this, don't get me wrong, but we really don't want our family to know about this right?"

Ranma shivered from her fiancée's breath in her ear and nodded, missing the other girl's touch. Akane flashed her a smile and climbed off her girlfriend before squirming uncomfortably in her wet panties. She looked over at the red haired girl and noticed a similar reaction when Ranma sat up and giggled slightly. Apparently both of them were feeling the same thing which brought a smile to the tomboy's face.

"In fact", Akane smirked and said quietly, "I have an idea of how we can get them off our backs even more. How about you go on your training trip like you were going to originally since you wanted to give me space. Then, after I've 'cooled down' by Friday, I can come join you and we can train this weekend like we planned."

Akane's eyes twinkled as she licked her lips before kissing Ranma on the mouth again. The two girls moaned softly as they kissed each other nearly senseless for a few minutes. Breathing heavily, Akane broke the kiss and whispered seductively, "We could even finish what we've started here tonight since we will be alone together."

"Would your sisters let you go?", Ranma asked hesitantly as she blushed furiously when she thought about what they had done and might do if they didn't have to worry about meddlesome older sisters and parents. She liked the plan but wanted to make sure about the details.

"I'll just say I am going to go look for you in order to bring you back which would be true", Akane replied, a devilish smile on her face. "You just need to tell me where you're going to be. I know, you can write a short letter telling me that you left because you thought I needed some time away from you and that you were going to train at the camp site we agreed on for this weekend. You can tell me in the letter that if I was willing to forgive you this is where you would be so that I could find you if I wanted to."

"Ranma", Akane said seriously as she cupped her girlfriend's face in her hands before kissing her deeply, "I do forgive you. I hope you can forgive me for never believing you and always thinking the worst about you. I promise you that won't happened again, just as you promised me last night that you would never keep such a large secret from me ever again. I trust you Ranma with my heart as well as my life now."

"I forgive you Akane and thank you for trusting me. Now, I guess I really should confess the other big secret I have been hiding from you", Ranma said slyly with a twinkle in her mischievous blue eyes. Akane narrowed her eyes before she caught the teasing elements in her girlfriend's expression and giggled slightly, having a feeling she knew what Ranma was going to say.

"What is this other really big secret?", Akane asked as she stood up from the bed and crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the red haired girl in mock anger and tapped her foot in fake impatience.

"Oh nothing major", Ranma said casually with a brilliant sunny smile on her face, "Just that I love you more than anything and want to marry you some day."

"I love you too", Akane said as her face lit up and split into the largest sunny smile Ranma had ever seen. The raven haired girl grabbed her hand and pulled her into a bone crushing hug, squeezing Ranma in an Amazon glomp Shampoo would be proud of.

"Can't… breathe…", Ranma wheezed out and then collapsed back onto the bed when her girlfriend released her.

She coughed a couple times and then said, "For the record Akane, I really don't like those bone crushing hugs. Can we stick to gentle and comfortable hugs instead? They feel much better and they don't remind me of a certain overly enthusiastic Amazon."

"Oh", Akane said sheepishly as she blushed and looked away shyly, "Sorry. I see your point. I'll keep that in mind from now on."

Akane offered her hand again and Ranma took it and stood up. She walked over to the desk and sat down and pulled out some paper in order to write the letter they had talked about. The raven haired girl stood behind her fiancé and rested her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders.

"You know", the raven haired girl said playfully as she twirled some of Ranma's hair in her fingers, "I never did get a chance to yell at you for the whole P-chan thing. It would be a shame if I missed that opportunity, even if I don't really mean it."

"Hmm, yes that would be a shame", Ranma said sarcastically with a smile on her face. She turned to look at her girlfriend when suddenly her lips were captured in yet another passionate kiss. The red-head began to swoon a little as Akane deepened the kiss and put her arms around Ranma's neck.

When they broke the kiss a few moments later, Ranma said, "The way I figure it we can do this one of two ways. If you're yelling at me like you want to do", the red-head paused as she gave her girlfriend a forced glare of annoyance which caused Akane to giggle, "then I really can't leave a letter for you to 'find' me. If I truly left with no intention of coming back you wouldn't find me in two days. What's going to happen when I come back Sunday afternoon with you? On the other hand, If I leave the letter because I am giving you space, then you can easily 'find' me and talk me into coming back. You can even show them the letter and it'll tell you where I am and everything."

Ranma sighed and closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "I just don't see how we can really do it your way without causing more questions than we want to answer."

"It's just that I won't be able to yell at you if we do it the letter way", Akane said as she pouted. She had been looking forward to testing her acting skills and performing in front of her family. A small part of her was still mad at her girlfriend and wanted to yell at her even if she didn't mean any of the things she was going to say.

"I see", Ranma smirked and giggled. "So you are still mad at me for earlier then."

"Of course I am baka", Akane replied as her eyes glinted mischievously and a smirk appeared on her lips. "I wanted to punish you for your crimes against me without actually hurting either one of us."

"Well", Ranma drawled out slowly as her smile turned into a matching smirk, "You can still 'punish' me this weekend if things go as planned."

Akane blushed as she caught what Ranma really meant and smiled brightly. The raven haired girl climbed off the desk and sat in her fiancé's lap before giving her another kiss as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's neck. The two girls then lost themselves in one another again as they kissed one another passionately for a few minutes before breaking apart again.

"You know", Ranma replied semi-seriously with a twinkle in her eye, "We're never going to get this done if we keep kissing like this. Sooner or later we'll probably wind up on the bed again, maybe even half naked and we'll get caught. Not that I mind the kissing and half naked parts one bit mind you, but having _them_ find out…"

"Yeah…", Akane said wistfully as she stared into Ranma's blue eyes and felt herself getting lost in them. Unable to help herself she bent down and kissed the girl again before resigning to the fact that they weren't getting their plan underway with all of the 'breaks' they kept taking. She climbed off Ranma's lap and sat on the corner of her desk again as the red haired girl finished writing the letter she would leave on Akane's desk for the youngest Tendo to 'find' in the morning.

"I should probably get going. I am really going to miss you over the next few days especially since we aren't fighting like I thought we would be", Ranma said sadly as she stood up from the youngest Tendo's desk. Akane frowned but nodded slowly as she climbed off her desk as well and the two girls embraced one another in a loving embrace.

"Wait Ranma", Akane said as she handed the other girl her bathing supplies. "You should probably take a bath before you go. When I come down to take my bath we can have some sort of awkward moment, maybe that's when I can yell at you. Then you can take off from your bedroom so no one knows."

"You really have this fascination with yelling at me tonight don't you?", Ranma replied as she smirked teasingly. She knew she deserved every bit of Akane's anger and was very thankful to the great Kamis that she had been spared that fate.

"Please?", Akane asked with her puppy dog eyes, "I really want to yell at you, but I don't want to mean it."

"It's just that, if you yell that you never want to see me again, why am I leaving you a letter telling you where I am. Secondly, why am I coming back with you on Sunday?", Ranma replied, tying to get the other girl to see that both plans wouldn't work. Of course it also helped that Ranma really didn't want to be yelled at, even if she did deserve it.

Akane frowned but nodded, seeing the logic in her girlfriend's argument. She also couldn't miss the gleam in Ranma's eyes and knew that the girl didn't want to be yelled at either and was arguing against that as well. It made sense, after all who really enjoys being yelled at?

"Tell you what Akane", Ranma replied with a smile on her face, "Why don't you yell at me when you find me this weekend. I'm sure I'll do something to deserve it. Oh, by the way, make sure you bring a swimsuit with you this weekend. I am going to teach your lead filled ass how to swim."

"RAAAAAANNNNNMMMMAAAAAA!", Akane yelled as the girl in question grinned and bolted out of the room in order avoid the raven haired girl's half hearted punch. The youngest Tendo stopped and started laughing as she silently thanked her girlfriend. Akane's face split into a sunny smile as she whispered to herself, "I love you Ranma."

'_Ah, true love at its finest. I think you'll be just fine my daughter…_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _

* * *

><p><em><span>Akane's current aura color combinations:<span> _

_Ki-cocoon: White, Pink, Red - Confidence, Love, Passion _

_Fl__aming Battle Aura: Dark Red, Black - Anger, Hate_


	6. Absence Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter Five

_Absence Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder_

.

.

Akane moaned slightly as she moved around in her bed, deeply entrenched in a very sensual and erotic dream starring none other than her favorite red haired girl. Her calm was shattered by the obnoxious squawking of a certain mechanical device of to her right. She groaned as she became aware of her real surroundings, including the uncomfortable fact that her panties were wet and sighed heavily. The youngest Tendo shut off her alarm clock and got out of bed and stretched lazily. Her eyes fell on the note that Ranma had written the evening before and she felt her heart lurch for a second. Even though it was staged and they were both in on it, fact of the matter was, her girlfriend had left her and she felt a sense of loss in her heart. It was not a feeling she ever wanted to get used to.

The raven haired girl stripped off her clothes and put on a new set of underwear before picking out her grey sweatpants and a red tank top to go jogging in. Her eyes wandered over towards the letter again and wondered if there were any hidden messages for her that anyone else reading it wouldn't pick up. As she read through it her fiancé's slightly messy scrawl she noticed that some of the characters were backwards. Akane suddenly felt excited and brought out another piece of paper so she could transcribe the backwards characters in a single sentence and learn what Ranma wanted to tell her.

Akane went through the letter and made sure she had all of the characters that were different. Not all of them were backwards but rather some were backwards and upside down while others were just upside down. Akane puzzled out the message and smiled happily as it read, "I love you Akane, always and forever. Yours for as long you want me, Ranma."

'_I want you forever Ranma. I am your tomboy and you are my baka, no one else's_', Akane thought to herself as she shook her head at her girlfriend's insecurity that she still didn't think she was worthy of her when she was the one with three fiancées and more suitors than any one person could stand.

'_I wonder if that's why she has been a girl so much lately_', Akane mused as she put the letter away in her top drawer. '_Is she trying to reduce the amount of pressure on her from everyone that sees her as a prize to be won or an obstacle to overcome? Maybe it's simpler than that and she's exploring what it means to be a girl now that she's accepted the curse as a part of her. She looked really cute in that black cocktail dress last night, shame she changed out of it before we ran into each other upstairs. Although I wonder where she got it from, it did look vaguely familiar._'

Akane left her room and walked into the guest room and headed over towards the closet. She hoped she would find the dress hanging on a hangar so it wouldn't get wrinkled. After searching for a few minutes she finally found it, hidden in the back behind a lot of other clothes. In retrospect it made perfect sense, after all the red haired girl wouldn't want Genma to find it. The balding panda would destroy it seeing as how much he hated Ranma's girl form. While searching through she found another stash of girl clothing and gasped, '_Where and when did she get all of this?_'

There were boxes and boxes of clothes, mostly skirts and dresses which seemed really strange for Ranma. Another box had lots of translucent lingerie and Akane couldn't help but wonder why her sometimes girlfriend had all that stuff. It looked like intimates that Happosai would want to get his grubby little hands on. She looked at the side of the box and sure enough, there was lettering that read, "Happosai collection". The raven haired girl grimaced and quickly put that box away, feeling dirty having touched the box even though the clothes were clean.

'_Why does Ranma have all this? Oh wait, maybe this is from her Ranko Tendo days. Auntie Saotome always thought Ranko was too much of a tomboy_', Akane smirked at that thought considering Ranma's favorite pet name for her, '_She probably bought all this stuff in order to make a lady out of her. It looks like a lot of this can't be returned. Well, I'm sure Ranma won't mind if I borrow a few things._'

The youngest Tendo grabbed a few boxes along with the cocktail dress and moved the clothing into her bedroom. She would sort through it later as she was running slightly late for her run as it was by that point. Even if Ranma minded, she had a couple days where her fiancé wouldn't be around so she might as well take a look and see if anything looked good on her, assuming it fit.

Ranma had always said when the red-head had worn her clothes that the bust was too tight and the waist was too big. Such comments had always made the youngest Tendo angry before but fact of the matter was the two of them were different sizes. They were about the same height but their other dimensions were different from one another. Not better, not worse, just different. Akane sighed at the realization that perhaps Ranma hadn't been trying to insult her the few times the red-head had worn her clothes.

* * *

><p>Akane left the confines of the Tendo compound and hit the pavement jogging as she breathed in the clear but chilly air. She kept her speed down and warmed up her leg muscles in order to prepare her body for a hard run that morning. She also planned to do more wall running figuring if she had to concentrate on not breaking her ankle she wouldn't feel her heart ache as much. The youngest Tendo knew the next three days were going to be rough on her, perhaps she should have tried to convince Ranma to stay and they could have pretended to ignore one another or something instead of her actually leaving.<p>

As the youngest Tendo ran along her traditional walls she kept a look out for something a little narrower so as try something a little more challenging. Twenty centimeters (slightly less than 8 inches) was just too easy and she could do that at a full run. Finally she came upon another section of wall that was approximately fifteen centimeters (6 inches) wide and had the added incentive of being nearly two meters in the air. If she lost her balance and didn't correct herself in midair the fall was going to hurt.

There were two ways to get on top of the wall she figured. The youngest Tendo could either pull herself up or she could do a short run and leap on top of the wall, or so she hoped. Ranma hadn't worked on tree hopping and roof jumping with her yet but even she should be able to handle a measly two meter height with her powerful legs. Akane backed up a little and ran at the wall, timing her steps before leaping into the air to land on top of the wall perfectly. She grinned and then started jogging down the wall as she didn't want to try it at a full run yet. Thanks to her small feet the fifteen centimeter wide wall wasn't really that hard but she didn't want to fall off in a moment of carelessness.

As she approached the end of the wall she spied a ten meter or something gap between her present wall and one of equal height and width on the other side. Akane stopped jogging and stood balanced on her current wall and regarded the gap carefully. The last thing she needed to do was injure herself days before she was planning to go on a training mission with her girlfriend or boyfriend, depending on who showed up. She would never hear the end of it from Ranma if she got hurt, reluctantly she hopped down to the sidewalk. Akane got into position and hopped up onto the other section of the wall and continued her balance training as she jogged along. By this time other joggers were watching her in amazement at her display of balance prowess. She grinned as she waved and continued on her merry way, her spirits lifted despite the ache in her heart because Ranma was gone.

Akane was really glad she and Ranma had been able to talk things out the previous evening despite the extra pain it caused her that morning. The youngest Tendo didn't have to worry about her anger festering because her punching bag was a coward, having run off before she could exact her vengeance for the P-chan secret. She would have to pretend to be mad at her fiancé though, which would allow her to practice her acting skills without any actual anger eating her up inside. It was a win-win, not to mention the fun she had had making out with her girlfriend. Her heart ached again when she thought of the red-head's soft and delicious lips and smooth, creamy skin. Akane felt her heart begin to race as her breath shortened and she knew it had nothing to do with her jogging on the walls as she thought about her little red haired soul mate.

She felt tempted to go to Ranma's campsite that morning but ultimately knew it would cause too many problems. First, she would get in trouble with her family for missing yet another three days. With her trip to China recently, combined with the present week meant she'd miss nearly three weeks. Her sisters would be disappointed with her. Finally, Ranma left in order to give her a chance to 'cool down' so how would it look if she went after her a few hours after she had left? She wasn't mad at her anymore and wanted to hold the red-head and kiss the poor girl senseless. Akane sighed as she jogged back towards her house and longed for her girlfriend's soft touch. It was going to be a really long three days. Friday couldn't come fast enough in her opinion.

Akane stepped into the entryway and put her shoes away before quirking an eyebrow at the sound of someone yelling in the living room. She sighed and shook her head in annoyance. Dealing with Genma on the best day was tiresome and irritating. The raven haired girl really didn't want to hear him complain about Ranma when she was missing the red-head so much.

* * *

><p>"I'm home", Akane called as she stepped into the living room. Everyone except Nodoka and Kasumi were seated at the table waiting, some more patiently than others, for the two women to bring breakfast out. She really would rather have had a bath before breakfast but settled on eating first when she saw them carry out food a few seconds later.<p>

"Where did my worthless son run off to?", Genma bellowed to the room at large before taking a monster serving of rice and stuffing his face with it. Nodoka smacked him lightly with the back of her hand and the overweight man quieted down.

"Oh my!, Ranma is missing?", Kasumi said, feigning shock as she spooned out some rice for herself. Akane sat down in her customary spot, not even looking phased at the mention of Ranma not being around. She put a mask of indifference on her face and started to eat quickly.

"Akane", Soun said as he set aside his newspaper, "Where is your fiancé?"

"How should I know where the pervert is?", Akane snapped, trying to sound angry and that she didn't care about her missing girlfriend.

"Akane!", Nodoka said reproachfully, beating Kasumi to the punch, "Why would you say such a horrible thing about Ranma?"

"Easy", the raven haired girl growled, "He lied to me about my pet. He let a boy sleep in my bed and defile me. I never want to see him again."

"Oh come on Akane", the Saotome matriarch said gently, "I'm sure you don't mean that."

"Why shouldn't I mean it?", Akane replied scathingly, her fake anger becoming real as she said, "What's worse is that your baka panda of a husband and my father knew about it all along and they allowed it continue."

All eyes turned on the two older men and they paled under the combined glares of the women at the table.

Akane threw down her chopsticks and left the table, intent on taking a bath since she had lost her appetite as real anger boiled to the surface from within her. She tried really hard to keep from really feeling it towards Ranma but found she couldn't entirely. Despite missing the red-head and their make out session the night before, she was still mad at her fiancé for his role in keeping the secret from her. She knew it was silly since she had never believed him but she couldn't help but still feel upset about the whole thing.

"Weren't those two together last night?", Nabiki asked the room emotionlessly, not really expecting an answer.

"I don't think so Nabiki", Kasumi said gently. "Ranma packed up his camping gear and left some time last night. I do hope he is alright, perhaps he will be back Sunday."

"How can you be so calm about this?", the middle Tendo asked, irritated that her model had run off. Nabiki nearly face palmed a moment later though since she herself had suggested that Ranma leave for a few days to give her sister some time and space.

"Akane and Ranma need some time and space away from one another given what's happened lately", Kasumi replied. "He knows Akane is mad at him and rather than the two of them fight about it like they used to all the time and ruin their friendship, he has chosen temporary banishment."

"My cowardly worthless son has run away", Genma balled, "I'm so ashamed."

"Husband…", Nodoka said in a steely voice as she looked over at the mantle where her sword rested. The movement was not lost on the panda one bit.

"Now now Saotome", Soun said slyly, "Perhaps it was a good thing he did. After all, if they are fighting with one another all the time the schools will never be joined. They take this little break from one another and when he comes back maybe they'll miss each other enough to profess their feelings for one another."

"You're right Tendo, brilliant", Genma replied as the two began waving victory flags and dancing around like idiots.

Akane came back down the stairs with her toiletries in hand and shook her head as she said in a disgusted tone, "Honestly…"

* * *

><p>The youngest Tendo didn't wait around for an answer and walked into the changing room so she could take a bath before school. She stripped out of her work out clothes and walked into the bathing room itself. Akane looked at herself in the mirror and sighed wistfully as her temporary anger at her fiancé evaporated and started to miss her girlfriend again. She looked at her body and ran her hands along her curves before gently cupping her breasts and smiled at the soft touch. The raven haired girl tried to imagine Ranma's smaller hands on them instead of her own. She wondered idly if they would reach that stage with one another over the weekend since they wouldn't have to worry about their families barging in and ruining the moment. '<em>Unless of course Kasumi comes with me…<em>'

'_I'm the smallest girl I know_', Akane thought to herself as she continued to hold her breasts in her hands, '_Ranma has said in the past that she would rather be smaller, closer to my size. She says her larger chest gets in the way of some of her martial arts and that I should be happy with my body the way it is. Perhaps she's right, after all before she showed up I was happy with myself the way I was. Why did I get so jealous of her when we first met if I didn't want a bigger chest? Maybe some part of me was offended that a boy was better built than I was but considering I don't really want a large chest, is it really "better" built?_'

Akane sat down on the washing stool and thought about her girlfriend as she scrubbed the grime off her body from jogging that morning. She remembered the pleasurable dream she had been having just before her alarm clock had woken her up. Her thoughts turned somewhat erotic and her hands wandered around her body as she scrubbed herself clean. When Akane's hands brushed the sensitive flesh between her legs, combined with her thoughts, her womanhood began to grow warm and a tingling sensation spread throughout her body. The raven haired girl giggled softly at the irony of calling Ranma and the rest of the boys perverts when she was entertaining herself with thoughts of a certain naked red haired girl. Once she was done soaping up and rinsed off, she sat in the tub for a few moments reflecting on the feelings her body were providing for her. She frowned, realizing she didn't have the time to really explore her more intimate thoughts and feelings since she had to go to school.

After her bath, Akane was up in her room brushing her hair when she thought, '_I hope Mousse is able to get that hair formula. I would like to surprise Ranma with long hair this weekend if possible. Assuming it works and it works that quickly that is._'

* * *

><p>Akane walked to school feeling lonely and kept glancing up at the thin metal fence that bordered the canal. She wasn't sure if she could walk up there as it was approximately only three centimeters wide. There was also the thought that she didn't want anyone to see up her dress if they happened to be on the sidewalk as well. That was when she heard the tell tale sounds of a bicycle being ridden at inhuman speeds. She looked up with a grimace on her face as Shampoo landed right in front of her.<p>

"Where Airen?", the Amazon demanded as she looked around, not noticing or caring that she had nearly flattened the raven haired girl who was scowling at her.

"Who knows, who cares? Obviously he isn't here though or you'd see him", Akane said distractedly as she walked around the other girl and proceeded to school. She wasn't about to give Shampoo the satisfaction that she had internally flinched when she had been nearly hit.

Shampoo growled and leapt in front of the youngest Tendo and pulled out her chuís and stood in a combat stance, "Give Airen so he take Shampoo on date."

"Do you see Ranma anywhere? Now be a good little girl and run back to your old ghoul", Akane said sarcastically, invoking her version of the Soul of Ice in order to remain calm. She refused to let the Amazon bait her into getting angry. The raven haired girl had realized awhile ago that she fought really sloppily when she allowed her opponents to anger her. Since then she had resolved to control her anger and use it as a tool to enhance her strength instead of becoming a berserker. The raven haired girl had even toyed around with the idea that maybe she could enhance her speed instead like Ranma did. After all it really didn't matter how hard you hit if you weren't fast enough to actually hit anything, something Ryoga had never learned.

Shampoo quirked an eyebrow at the youngest Tendo, confusion written all over her face, "When Kitchen Destroyer become calm?"

"Bye Shampoo", Akane said as she shrugged and once again stepped around the Amazon and continued on to school. The youngest Tendo was determined to ignore the girl but maintained a lock on her aura to ascertain whether the Amazon would attack or not.

The Amazon stood in the middle of the road and scratched her head. Something strange was definitely going on. Akane was not known to be a calm person, especially where her Airen was concerned and yet she didn't seem to care where Ranma was. On top of that Shampoo had been unable to goad the other girl into getting angry, her trademark emotional state.

Shampoo followed the other girl for a bit before heading back towards the Nekohanten pondering the change in her Airen and the youngest Tendo. It almost seemed like they switched personalities in a way. Ranma had attacked her the day before with a Ki-blast without warning or provocation and Akane had given her the cold shoulder and dismissed her. Perhaps her great grandmother would be able to shed some light on the situation.

Akane frowned as she sensed Shampoo following her for a bit, apparently confused at her behavior. She shrugged and continued down the road until she could see the gates to her high school. Dozens of boys holding various sports related items stood inside waiting. Her eyes wandered over towards the tree and landed on Kuno and she sighed. Apparently they had given her a reprieve the day before but it looked like the scenario Sayuri had mentioned had indeed come to pass. The Hentai Horde was back, with it's baka chieftain ready to resume the morning fight.

Steeling her emotions, she charged forward through the gates. Instead of bashings perverts aside like she used to before Ranma came though, she ducked and weaved in between their unskilled attacks looking like a drunken dancer. She flowed around the boys rather effortlessly and made it to the front steps where she continued into the school hardly breaking a sweat.

* * *

><p>Nabiki watched impassively while her sister gave the boys the attention they deserved and started writing up the names of everyone involved. She had warned them on Monday not to harass her sister ever again and it looked like they had managed to listen for one day. It was time to hit them a little harder than mere words, maybe they would back off for two days. The middle Tendo didn't think they were smart enough to back off longer than that.<p>

"Kuno-baby", Nabiki said icily as she grabbed the kenoist by the ear and dragged him off towards the maintenance shed, "Can I talk to you for a few moments?"

"Unhand me you wretched mercenary", Kuno snarled as he staggered along following the middle Tendo girl's grip on his ear.

"Now then", the middle Tendo said as she narrowed her eyes, "What part of 'don't harass my sister anymore' didn't you understand? Your so-called 'fierce tigress' wants nothing to do with you. She has given her heart to Saotome of her own free will. There is no demonic sorcery or any of that other nonsense you can come up with in that puny delusional mind of yours. You're actions are above and beyond simple attempts to court her. You stalk and sexually harass her, as well as the pig-tailed girl. You're actions are criminal Kuno and I suggest you stop before you find yourself in prison."

"Surely thy words are nary but a falsehood", Kuno sneered as he stood regally with his bokken over his shoulder, "Thou speakest as though a mere jail cell could possibly contain the heavenly and righteous might of mine own magnificence. Hear these words of mine for I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"What is righteous about forcing yourself on a girl who has told you countless times she doesn't want anything to do with you?", Nabiki asked, irritated with the delusional self proclaimed samurai who seemed to know absolutely nothing about what they were.

"My loves love me, I know this to be truth. That wretched snake Saotome hath enslaved my two pinnacles of beauty", Kuno replied defiantly, staring at Nabiki like she was blind to what he knew to be the truth. How could he be the only one that saw Saotome as the evil enslaving demon that he was? Why would the fair Akane pick that wretched cur over his own magnificence?

"I just told you Akane picked Saotome of her own free will. Ranma is not a demon or a sorcerer you idiot", the middle Tendo said exasperatedly as she threw her hands up into the air and walked away. The bell was going to ring soon and unlike other people she wanted to be in class on time.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Yuka and Sayuri were standing around Akane's desk asking her why she didn't beat the stuffing out of the Hentai Horde that morning. Akane rolled her eyes and put her head down on her desk, wishing everyone would just leave her alone for the day. The raven haired girl didn't even notice when Ukyo walked by, not that she would have said anything to the okinomiyaki chef anyway if she could help it. As in the case of Shampoo, the youngest Tendo hadn't forgiven her for the destruction of the dojo the previous Saturday when they ruined Ranma and hers wedding ceremony. Granted, Akane was actually glad the two of them hadn't gotten married that day but there was no way she would ever tell the other girls that.<p>

"So Akane", Yuka said as she looked around and noticed a certain missing someone, "Why didn't you beat up those perverts this morning and where is Ranma?"

"I'm tired of fighting with them and decided to see if they might leave me alone if I ignored them", Akane said wearily. "I am going to treat them with amount of attention they deserve, which is none and see if that helps. Maybe they are like other kinds of bullies, if you ignore them they will go away since they thrive on the attention."

Yuka and Sayuri shrugged and nodded as Yuka said, "I hope it works out that way for you Akane. These are the perverted boys of the Hentai Horde we're talking about here though."

"Yeah", the raven haired girl agreed, "Bashing their heads in each morning didn't seem to help either though. They weren't _that_ great of a stress reliever since none of them stood long enough to take more than a single punch."

The other two girls giggled for a few seconds before Sayrui asked, "And Ranma?"

"The baka ran off last night", Akane said quietly, hoping her voice didn't betray how she really felt about their separation.

"Really?", Sayuri replied with a look of surprise on her face, "What happened between you two?"

"I can't talk about it here", the raven haired girl said softly as she raised her head and looked at her two best friends, pleading with her eyes.

Yuka and Sayuri nodded and understood. It seemed like it was time to have another ice cream social after school. The teacher walked in at that point and the bell rang, so everyone returned to their seats. He looked around at the desks and frowned, as everyone was there except a certain pigtailed boy.

"Miss Tendo", the teacher said in order to get Akane's attention, "Where is Mr. Saotome?"

"I don't know Sensei", the youngest Tendo replied in a faked irritated voice, "He ran off last night without telling anyone where he was going. I wouldn't expect to see him for awhile, if ever again."

"I see, very well then. Should I bother giving you his homework assignments?"

"I guess", Akane sighed tiredly, "If he comes back and I don't kill him, maybe he'll stick around long enough to finish the term and do his homework."

The teacher nodded his head and proceeded to call roll before starting the lecture about the various trigonometry functions they were going to start covering that day. Akane just wanted to go home and sleep the next few days away so she could be with her girlfriend sooner than later. She couldn't even imagine how she would be feeling if Ranma had left without them having talked things out.

'_No, that's not true_', Akane thought as she smirked to herself, '_I'd be stark raving mad if he had left before we cleared the air, as well as each other's tonsils._'

Her mind drifted back to their last make out session and she licked her dry lips as the scenario played itself out in her mind. Akane could almost feel the softness of the other girl touching her skin as she closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't let her imagination run away from her or else she's start touching herself in public and if that didn't get people's attention, her moans certainly would. She would not become a pervert like all of those sex crazed boys. Fortunately the sudden noise of the intercom system snapped her out of her daydream and kept her from embarrassing herself.

"Aloha kiddies", the fake Hawaiian principal said over the loudspeaker, "Dis be da principal and I have a grand announcement to make. I have decided to host a Valentine's Day dance next Saturday night in the school gym. Ten days boys and girls, get your dates and be ready for some fun eh? Da big Kahuna out."

As expected, the girls in the class began to talk animatedly about who they would bring while the guys looked like they were going to faint. Yuka and Sayuri said to their raven haired friend that Ranma had better be back in time or they were going to personally make it so he could never father children.

Akane grimaced at the threat and hoped privately that her girlfriend who could be a boy sometimes would be willing to go to the dance. The youngest Tendo had never been to a dance before and was really looking forward to it. The problem was she didn't want to go with anyone but Ranma. A small smile formed on her lips as she thought of a way to get her fiancé to be a little more agreeable to going.

Hikaru Gosunkugi looked over at Akane and thought, '_With Ranma gone, perhaps this will be chance to go on a date with Akane Tendo. I will have to check my books for the proper spells. This will be the greatest Valentine's Day ever!_'

'_Hmm_', Ukyo mused to herself as a sly smile appeared on her lips, '_I wonder if Ranchan will like my newest okinomyaki. He just needs to come back before the dance and I'll treat him to dinner at my place. I'll even invite Akane along too so she doesn't get all defensive and I can try out my newest anti-okinomiyaki on her. The uncute tomboy will hate the first male she sees, which should be Ranma and dump him. I'll be the next girl he sees and he'll fall in love with me._'

Mr. Moto sighed and sat down at his desk as he thought, '_Figures that Kuno idiot would announce something as big as a dance at the beginning of class. I'll give them a couple of minutes to get it out of their system, though I doubt anyone will be listening very attentively to me today._'

* * *

><p>Later on, just before noon, Sakura Ishkarashi stared at her computer monitor and shook her head in aggravation. The auburn haired woman couldn't seem to find the file on the little red haired girl that had rescued her the other night. The only Ranma Saotome that appeared in the police's database was that of a black haired boy. The guy was handsome in a rough kind of way but Sakura wasn't interested in pursuing guys. Her "husband" had been suitable enough for those needs the few times she had had any interest. No, what she wanted was a woman who could satisfy her <em>other<em> wants and needs.

In truth, Jiro Hitoshi was her fiancé by way of an arranged marriage, not her husband thank Kami-sama despite what the elder Hitoshis thought. She hated the idea that she would be stuck with a man she tolerated but didn't love at all. Oh sure, the sex was somewhat amusing and his parents spoiled her something rotten but she really didn't feel much of anything for guys in general, let alone Jiro. The man worked long hours at some thankless job and rarely had time for her, not that she minded that much.

When Sakura wasn't working at her part time job at the police station she was out partying at nightclubs across the greater Tokyo megalopolis. She tended to stick to the bars and clubs that leaned towards women being overly friendly with one another and had had many eventful one night stands over the last few months. Her tiresome fiancé was oblivious and his parents, whom she lived with, were completely clueless.

She knew her recklessness would get her in trouble eventually and sure enough, last Saturday she was attacked by seven thugs. The beautiful red haired girl, Ranma, had saved her from the horrible fate of gang rape followed by possible murder. In an effort to repay the girl for her kindness, as well as satisfy her own lusts, she had tried to seduce the martial artist only to be roughly rebuked. The younger girl had mentioned a fiancée she already loved which told Sakura the girl was indeed a lesbian as she had hoped for.

But now, no matter how hard the auburn haired woman looked, she couldn't find any evidence of a female Ranma Saotome anywhere. Sakura growled in frustration again and decided to give her old friend Nabiki a call and see if the mercenary sister had any information on the subject.

"Hello?", Nabiki said curiously as she answered her phone. The middle Tendo put down her chopsticks and focused her attention on her unknown caller. Perhaps it would be someone interesting. Since the boycott had only begun that a day or so ago and the lawsuits had not been initiated yet, she doubted it was anyone having news about her latest schemes.

"Na-chan? How are you?', Sakura asked pleasantly trying to remove all of the irritation from her voice.

"Sa-chan, it's been awhile my old friend and I am doing fine thanks. How is your girl hunting going?", Nabiki replied, amusement evident in her voice. The middle Tendo knew all about her friend's hobby of hunting girls for one night stands. Even though she found the practice rather distasteful herself, she certainly wasn't going to turn down 'finder's fees' for her friend's hook-ups. Besides, having a loyal friend that worked in the Nerima Police Department really came in handy sometimes.

"You know me too well Na-chan", Sakura said as she grinned wolfishly.

"Remember Sa-chan you still owe me a couple of favors for those other girls I hooked you up with. Are you sure you want to owe me another one?", Nabiki asked with her trademark smirk audible through the telephone receiver.

"I know, but this girl was special. She beat up seven thugs in under ten seconds like they were nothing", Sakura said dreamily and squirmed in her chair as she felt herself getting aroused daydreaming about making love to Ranma's girl form.

"Let me guess", Nabiki said slowly as she sighed heavily, "the girl was short and big breasted, wore her red hair in a pigtail and was wearing Chinese clothes…" '_Oh Ranma, what have you done now? You might be better off with your fiancée brigade than appearing on Sakura's radar._'

"Exactly!, well except the pigtail part", Sakura exclaimed and then continued, "She was so incredibly beautiful and had the softest pair of lips I have ever kissed, not to mention a really nice pair of breasts that felt wonderful to the touch. She said her name was Ranma Saotome, I take it you know her? I've checked her police records only to find that she doesn't exist. All I can come up with is some guy that I would have no interest in."

The middle Tendo scowled and thought heatedly, '_Ranma! How dare you consort with Sakura while you are engaged to Akane who loves you. I swear if you break my little sister's heart I will make your life a living hell. You'll wish Saffron had killed you in China by the time I am through with you!_'

"You'll love this Sa-chan", Nabiki replied sarcastically with a huge grin on her face, "That little red-head you're lusting after is the male Ranma you found in your computers…"

"What? Impossible!", Sakura shouted as she interrupted the middle Tendo's explanation. The auburn haired woman stood up and began pacing back and forth in her office growling under her breath. Nabiki had to be teasing her, there was no way that buxom red-head was really a guy as she thought in disbelief, '_Ranma is one hell of a cross dresser if what Nabiki says is true_._ It's really difficult for a male to fake a soprano voice and those breasts were so perfect feeling as well as those soft lips…_'

"No, it's true", Nabiki said calmly. "He's my little sister's fiancé but he has a Chinese curse that turns him into a girl when splashed with cold water. Hot water changes him back to male."

"Nabiki", Sakura sighed heavily and then continued as she laughed softly, "What on Earth are you smoking over there that you believe in curses? Whatever it is I might have to arrest you for it."

The middle Tendo chuckled and shook her head. She knew all too well how what she was telling her friend sounded and probably would have had the same reaction had she not seen Ranma transform so often herself. "I'm serious Sa-chan, If you come over when Ranma comes back, I'll prove it to you. We're not sure when he'll be back at the moment, I'll let you know."

"Damn", Sakura said as she sighed heavily, "You are serious aren't you? Fine, I'll have to see this gender confused cross-dressing freak for myself when he gets back."

Nabiki shuddered and knew Ranma wasn't anything like what her friend Sakura had described. She really didn't want to hurt her little sister by giving the ex-pigtailed martial artist yet another suitor to chase after him. The middle Tendo and the other woman talked about other topics for awhile before Nabiki finally hung up, saying she had to get back to class as lunch was over.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kasumi hummed to herself as she walked down the street towards her family's lawyer's office with her trademark smile plastered on her face. The eldest Tendo daughter had no idea if this plan of theirs would work but she was fairly confident the girls and that Amazon mummy wouldn't take the news very well. She walked into the reception area and when asked who she was there to see, Kasumi told the short haired stocky woman that was running the front desk.<p>

The eldest daughter sat down, all prim and proper in her yellow knee length dress without an apron, and waited until the lawyer could see her. A half hour later an elderly man with thin wisps of hair barely covering his scalp walked into the reception area and greeted her.

"Ah, Miss Tendo", the stocky man said in enthusiastic greeting.

"Mr. Fironchi, thank you for seeing me today", Kasumi said as she bowed to the older man.

"Think nothing of it", he replied as he waggled his eyebrows, "Come back to my office and let's discuss why you are here today shall we?"

Kasumi nodded and followed the older man into the corner office in the back. She sat down in one of the comfortable chairs that sat opposite Mr. Fironchi's huge work desk. It was very well made from some expensive wood the eldest Tendo daughter couldn't identify and was at least three meters in width. There was a computer in one corner of it and an assortment of office supplies on the other.

"Can I get you some tea?", the lawyer offered as he held out a cup.

"No thank you", Kasumi replied as Fironchi nodded and sat down at his desk.

After taking a sip he asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"

Kasumi sighed and rubbed her head, trying to stave off her growing headache. She described what the three girls, Ukyo, Kodachi and Shampoo had done and how she wanted to sue all three of them on grounds of destruction of property, general harassment, sexual harassment, and emotional distress. The eldest Tendo daughter explained how they had disrupted the marriage ceremony between her youngest sister and her fiancé as well as their constant attacks over the past year and a half.

Mr. Fironchi frowned as he listened to Kasumi talk and nodded his head. Throwing explosive food without care of hurting innocent people was just criminally reckless and he made sure to add that to the growing list of elements to add in the lawsuit.

"I take it you are going to try to press criminal charges as well?", the lawyer asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"I would like to. These girls are high powered martial artist though, and while that certainly doesn't excuse them by any means, they might be difficult to arrest and detain, especially the Chinese Amazons", Kasumi replied calmly.

"No if anything, they should be held accountable even more than normal people since they can respond with deadly force. Martial arts is supposed to teach discipline if I am not mistaken, yet these silly girls seem to have none of that. I would say it's a failing of their Sensei's but the fault really lays with them. They are old enough to know better and I intend to treat them as adults, not the temper tantrum throwing nine year olds they seem to be behaving as", Mr. Fironchi replied in a tone that meant business.

The older man scratched him chin and said, "Tell you what, why don't I set up a meeting with the Nerima PD and the three of us can discuss what we can do about them?"

"That would be fine", Kasumi said as she stood up, "If it's alright I would like to bring another with me. Her name is Nodoka Saotome and she is Ranma's mother. She'll want to sue the girls and press criminal charges as well."

"Even better", Mr. Fironchi said as he rubbed his hands in glee while a certain glint appeared in his aging blue eyes.

The two bowed to one another and the aging lawyer escorted Kasumi back to the reception area where he bid her a good day before walking back to his office. He closed the door and sat down at his desk and absently drummed his hand on the desk for a few moments before settling back and reaching for the phone on the desk. A smile crossed his face as he dialed, this was going to be fun.

* * *

><p>The final bell rang and Akane nearly sprinted out of the school grounds wanting to get away as quickly as possible. Ever since their loony principal had made the announcement about the dance she had been hounded by boys seeking to be her date for the event. Apparently being still engaged to Ranma didn't deter them from annoying her and she had nearly lost her temper and punched them out more than a couple times. She was able to restrain herself though and used it as practice for her Soul of Ice technique. Perhaps they bothered her so much because she responded, maybe if she ignored them like the Hentai Horde and Kuno earlier they would leave her alone. It was worth a shot and since Ranma wasn't there to punch them for her, no one was sent to the nurse's office that day.<p>

Yuka and Sayrui sprinted in order to catch up to their shorter friend and called out to her. Akane turned around and stopped so they could catch up to her. The two brown haired girls noticed the hardly disguised look of disgust on their friend's face and suggested the three of them head towards the ice cream shop as they had discussed in homeroom earlier.

"Ugh! Boys!", Akane growled in disgust as they walked along towards the parlor so she could tell her two best friends about what happened with her girlfriend and why Ranma left. She was really looking forward to something with a lot of chocolate in it.

Sayuri giggled and said, "Face it Akane, you are the most popular girl in school, second only to Ranma's girl form who doesn't show up nearly as often as those perverts would like."

"I never wanted to be popular like that in the first place. I'd just assume be left alone honestly", Akane pouted as her friends put a hand on each of her shoulders. The raven haired girl felt the comfort of her friends and smiled, suddenly in a much better mood.

"Come on girl friend", Yuka said teasingly, "Let's go and get you some chocolate."

* * *

><p>The three girls were seated in a booth and had ordered their sundaes. While waiting for them to show up, Akane decided to tell her two best friends about Monday at the Meiji Shrine. She edited out the fact that she had kissed Ranma in his girl form and let them assume she meant he was a guy at the time as she had with her sisters. They squealed in happiness and pressed her for details on how the kiss felt, tasted and if they did anything else.<p>

"We just shared a kiss, that's it", Akane replied finally, annoyed that her friends would believe they would do anything more than that on their first date. The raven haired girl then looked thoughtful when she realized that they had actually gone out on a date after all. Okay, so it wasn't to the movies or to a fancy restaurant or anything but it was definitely quality time they had spent alone together.

'_Well_', Akane thought to herself, '_I suppose that's not true considering that I grabbed her hand and placed it on my breast that one time. I felt her breasts last night while we were making out and that felt nice. Hopefully she won't mind me doing that again this weekend. Akane focus! They don't need to know what you have and haven't done together and they certainly don't need to know that everything you have done with Ranma was while she was a girl._'

The youngest Tendo's mind conveniently blocked out all of her memories of kissing Ranma's male form. Akane really didn't want to think about any males at the moment given her anger at Ryoga and Ranma for the whole P-chan thing. As if that wasn't bad enough there were all the perverts at school because of the principal's Valentine's Day Dance announcement. She was just tired of guys in general and for the moment she wanted a break from every single one of them.

"Aw, you're no fun", Sayuri said teasingly as she took a bite of her strawberry parfait.

"Isn't it enough we confessed our love for one another and shared a magical kiss just two days ago?", Akane asked, and dipped her spoon into her double chocolate fudge brownie sundae. It was her 'Ranma Special' according to her friends when she had ordered the same thing on Sunday.

"What happened that he left last night? It seems really strange for him to leave after that", Yuka said and Sayuri nodded her head in agreement.

"P-chan happened", Akane said slowly as she frowned.

"Your pet pig?", Sayuri asked, raising an eyebrow, wondering how the little animal could mess things up between the couple so badly.

"Yeah", the youngest Tendo said as her anger began to grow inside of her again and her aura began to shimmer into existence. "Turns out he's a Jusenkyo curse victim named Ryoga Hibiki. If he knows what's good for him, he will never come around here again. If he does I might have to make pork buns out of him for dinner that evening."

Yuka and Sayuri gasped in surprise and their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as they took in that bit of information. P-chan had wandered into the girl's locker room at times and watched them change. They had talked about various things in front of him they would never have talked about in front of a boy. The two brown haired girls felt utterly betrayed by the lost pervert and couldn't even begin to imagine how their best friend felt.

"What does this have to with Ranma though?", Yuka asked.

"He knew", Akane said darkly as she clenched her fists on top of the table, "from the beginning."

"No way!", Sayuri and Yuka screeched, much to everyone else's discomfort. The other patrons looked at the group of girls in irritation before turning back to their own business.

"I take it you broke up with him and sent him flying to the moon then?", Sayuri said heatedly.

"No", the raven haired girl said softly as she looked down at her lap, "He left of his own accord last night in order to give me some time and space so we wouldn't fight constantly for awhile."

"How could you possibly stay with him after that betrayal though? How could Ranma let that pervert do all of those things he did to all of us, let alone you?", Sayuri growled angrily as she clenched her fist.

"I love him", Akane said as she mentally corrected herself and thought, '_her, I love her_'. A tear rolled down her cheek and she looked up at her friends as her brown eyes shimmered with more unshed tears. "I can't just forget that and we've been through so much together…"

"Doesn't matter!", Yuka snarled and clenched her fist as well. "The next time we see Ranma or that bastard Ryoga we're going to pound the stuffing out of him."

"You can pound on pig boy all you want, I wont object to that", the raven haired girl said as she shook her head. "I don't want you to pound Ranma though. Let me tell you the whole thing and hopefully by the end you'll understand."

"This had better be good…", Sayuri said heatedly and Yuka nodded in agreement.

Akane spent the next fifteen minutes or so telling her two best friends about Ranma and Ryoga's history together. She then informed them of how her fiancé felt he was responsible for the lost boy's curse and made a mental warrior's promise not to reveal his secret. The youngest Tendo went on to describe how Ranma had actually gone back on that and tried to tell her the pig was a cursed boy that first night but she would never listen and never believed him. Akane highlighted her own contributions to the whole mess and how it was more her fault in a way than Ranma's and had decided to forgive him. She described how they had decided he should leave for a few days anyway to give everyone the illusion that she was still upset with him and asked her two friends to keep that under wraps.

"Friday after school I am going to go to the camp site that we had agreed upon and 'find' him", Akane said calmly as she clasped her hands in front of her on the table. "We'll train this weekend just as I said on Sunday and things should be somewhat back to normal. Ranma will come back to school on Monday."

Yuka and Sayuri were quiet for awhile, digesting everything the two of them had learned. They were far from happy but they nodded their acceptance and promised not to hurt Ranma over it. The girls decided that if Akane could forgive him, they could as well at least until the next time he did something stupid.

* * *

><p>Akane said good bye to her two friends and started walking towards her house. About halfway there she decided that she didn't want to put up with the meddlesome fathers whining about the schools never being joined because Ranma had run off. She didn't want to deal with questions from her older sisters either in regards to the same topic. The raven haired girl missed her girlfriend terribly and was really glad for the respite Yuka and Sayuri were able to provide by keeping her company for awhile.<p>

The youngest Tendo sat on a bench, resting her chin in the palms of her hands, her elbows on her knees. She stared into the fountain in front of her as she pondered her recent thoughts. Shortly after the failed wedding on Saturday, Akane had begun thinking of Ranma as a girl that sometimes turned into a boy rather than the reality. She had referred to Ranma as a girl when she was talking to her friends on Sunday during their ice cream social and was curious as to why. When they were at the Meiji Shrine on Monday she realized she liked his female side more than his male side even though they were both Ranma. She reflected again on how she felt about kissing both of her fiancé's forms and once again, the female side won hands down.

Akane wondered, not for the first time, if she might actually be a lesbian. She didn't recall ever feeling attracted to any of the other girls though, just Ranma's girl form. Perhaps the red-head was her soul mate and that was why, regardless of gender, she had fallen for her and why she was so comfortable with the girl.

The raven haired girl knew deep inside that male Ranma never would have had a chance if he didn't show up as a girl that first day. It was the red-head that had melted her heart and she later had felt betrayed because the girl was an illusion and her new friend was really a guy. She considered how little she had really wanted to associate with guys at all, even before Kuno and the Hentai Horde had essentially ruined her sophomore and junior years of high school. As if that wasn't bad enough, there was the forced engagement and the subsequent chaos that seemed to follow Ranma around like an additional curse.

"Akane Tendo", a male voice said from somewhere nearby. Akane nearly fell off the park bench as she jumped in fright from being startled so badly. She opened her eyes slowly and saw that it was Mousse who had scared her.

"Mousse", Akane gasped out as she placed a hand over her heart, feeling it thunder in her chest like a jackhammer. "You startled me."

"My apologies", the male Amazon said as he bowed slightly. "I went to your home in order to find you and Kasumi informed me of where you might be since you had yet to return home."

Akane raised her eyebrow in puzzlement, wondering why the near blind weapons master wanted to find her and asked, "Why did you want to find me?"

"I have the recipe for the hair formula you requested as well some cautionary advice. I was unable to make it without the old mummy finding out, however the ingredients are fairly easy to come by so you should have no problems gathering them yourself", Mousse replied as he handed Akane a slip of paper from somewhere in his robes.

"Thank you Mousse", Akane replied with a sunny smile on her face as she continued softy, "I had actually forgotten that I had asked you for this."

"Really? Was it not just a few days ago when we discussed this?", Mousse said, amusement clearly in his voice. He idly wondered what could have happened in the last couple of days that would cause the youngest Tendo to completely forget about her wishing her hair was longer. Whatever it was it probably had to do with Ranma and for the better, perhaps the two of them had grown closer. He smiled as he was happy for them and wished them the best.

"Yes", Akane replied sheepishly. The youngest Tendo didn't really want to tell Mousse anything about her blossoming relationship with Ranma though simply because Shampoo and Cologne would be able to get it out of him too easily. She really didn't want her secret romance to become public knowledge especially since it was non-traditional in every sense of the word. The raven haired girl wondered idly if her father would disown her and if Ranma's mother would force her daughter to commit seppuku if they were discovered as lovers. Akane probably didn't really have to worry about that happening so long as Ranma's male side remained intact though. If she ever became locked again or if the male side were ever destroyed however…

"I must got now though", Mousse said, bringing the girl in front of him out of her thoughts, as he patted a delivery box at his side. "Remember to read all of the instructions before you do anything. I am not sure what will happen if you do not."

"Thank you Mousse", Akane said happily as she flashed him with one of her patented sunny smiles.

The male Amazon smiled back, feeling a tug at his heart not because he loved Akane, but because a female had finally shown him some measure of respect and friendship. Cologne and Shampoo treated him like dirt and with contempt. He had quickly grown tired of it since he was no longer in love or even infatuated with lavender haired psychopath anymore. He needed time though, time to plan so that he could break away without getting deported. Perhaps Nabiki would be able to help him with that, for a price of course.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ryoga walked along the dusty road wondering how he would get to China since he seemed to be heading away from the coast and towards the mountains that made up the spine of Japan. He clenched his fists as he walked along, still seething from the night before when Kasumi had tossed him out of the gates to the Tendo estate. How did the Tendo sisters find out about his curse after all this time unless Ranma had told them. The lost boy spit onto the ground, trying to get the bad taste of his long time rival out of his mouth.<p>

"Damn you Ranma!", the Hibiki boy shouted to the heavens, "Thanks to you Akane hates me and it's all your fault!"

"Ryoga?", a hesitant voice said from somewhere nearby.

The fang toothed martial artist looked around frantically and saw nothing that would be able to speak. His gaze fell upon four legs and he looked up, and up. Finally, his eyes took in the monstrous form of Katsunishiki and above him, Akari Unryu and he felt his heart stop for a second.

The brown haired young woman looked down at him with sadness in her blue eyes as she regarded her ex-boyfriend carefully. Akari had no reason to believe that Kasumi would lie to her but at the same time she really didn't want to believe what she had been told was true. The young brown haired woman had felt sick all afternoon since learning how her boyfriend had misused his curse to molest her friend Akane. She had vomited many times and wondered when she would see Ryoga again so she could break up with him.

"Katsunishiki", Akari said in a steely tone, "Sit on pig boy."

The giant sumo pig did as he was told and charged Ryoga who was too stunned to comprehend what was going on, let alone defend against the large animal in front of him. Half a second later he found himself laying face down in the dirt with a very heavy weight on his back as Kastunishiki sat on him.

"Can't… breath…", Ryoga wheezed out before asking, "Why?"

"I'm going to tell you a story Ryoga", Akari replied, no warmth or love in her cold tone as she hopped off her giant pig and knelt down by his side. "The story goes something like this. Once upon a time, there was this sweet, but relatively clueless girl that really loved pigs. Her grandfather decreed that she could only marry someone who could defeat Katsunishiki in combat. Now, the girl really loved her grandfather and wanted to respect his wishes so she set out to find a man who could defeat her champion pig. Many tried and many failed until one certain _boy_ came along. What the girl should have done was look for a man who would love her for who she was and not some two-timing scumbag. I expected better from you pig boy than for you to use your cursed form to sleep with someone else's fiancée."

Ryoga's face drained of color, despite it turning somewhat blue due to the trouble he was having breathing properly. The lost boy had a feeling he knew what was next and tried to speak, "I'm…"

"No you aren't", Akari interrupted harshly as she stood up and kicked some road dust into his face making him cough. "I loved you Ryoga. I really did but that's all over with now. _You_ betrayed me. _You_ defiled Akane and _you_ have destroyed our trust in you."

Akari glared at her ex-boyfriend and said calmly, "Before I realized why you hated pigs so much I tried to give them up for you. I'm really glad I changed my mind now. I love pigs and I always will but I will never love you again, pig boy. You aren't worth changing myself over and despite what my grandfather wishes, the next man I fall in love with won't have to defeat Kastunishiki first. I will marry for true love, something you are incapable of even grasping, let alone offering to another. You know your curse is perfect, you really are a perverted pig and I mean that in a bad way. I pity the next girl that shows any interest in you for you are totally undeserving of love, pervert."

"…", Ryoga sighed, there was nothing he could say that would dig himself out of the hole that he had dug for himself.

"Good bye Ryoga", Akari said icily as she walked away. "I hate you and never want to see you again. If I were you I would hurry up and get lost, you seem to have a knack for that. I won't be as forgiving the next time I see you pork breath. Kastsunishiki, let's go home."

Ryoga felt the huge weight on his back lift itself off and he climbed to his feet and breathed in deeply, relishing the air he could effortlessly get into his lungs. It was then that he felt a huge crushing weight on his chest but this had nothing to do with pigs this time. He watched as the girl he thought he loved walk away from him and bowed his head in shame.

Before Jusendo, Ryoga was acting like Kuno in that he had a picture of both of his loves and was trying to decide between them. He strung Akari along as his primary interest was Akane. He had decided to try to let go of the raven haired girl only to fail miserably and plotted revenge against Ranma so he could steal Akane for himself. The lost boy wanted to keep Akari around though just in case he couldn't get his true love to like him so he would have someone he could fall back on. Now, both of his loves hated him and wanted nothing more to do with him.

The fang toothed martial artist trudged along, not particularly caring where he wound up as his depression and anger squeezed his chest in its death grip. If he had accepted Akari's love of pigs as a good thing, including his curse he really could have been happy with her he thought. Instead he was so hell-bent on breaking Ranma and Akane up he didn't realize what he truly had until it had turned to dust.

He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists as he snarled, "Ranma, this is all your fault! If you had just taken your beating like a man, none of this would have happened!"

"Well well", an ancient and raspy female voice said from somewhere nearby. "Always blaming others instead of yourself pig boy?"

"Who's there?", Ryoga snarled as he unsheathed his battle umbrella and looked around, only to find no one there. As he looked around for the voice he noticed he was no longer on the dusty road that ran between the farms on the outskirts of Tokyo. He was standing in the middle of a forest.

"Where the hell am I now?", the lost boy screamed. He heard the raspy voice chuckle again as it faded in the woodwork. Ryoga set off in order to follow the sound.

* * *

><p>"I'm home", Akane said happily as she walked into the entry way and put away her shoes.<p>

"Welcome home Akane", Kasumi said, coming out of the kitchen. "Did Mousse find you?"

"Yes he did, thank you", the raven haired girl replied as she followed Kasumi back into the kitchen and handed the recipe to her older sister. "Will you help me make this?"

"Oh my!", Kasumi said as she looked at the list of ingredients and read the instructions. "We have most of these in the pantry already except for this, this and this. I'll pick them up from the market tomorrow while I am out. What is this recipe for?"

"It's a Chinese hair formula", Akane said excitedly as she jumped up and down like a little kid, "I want to grow my hair out again but I don't want to have to wait six months."

"Why the sudden change? You've worn your hair short for the last year and a half", her eldest sister said, curious as to what triggered the desire for change and wondered if it had to do with a certain gender bender.

"This has nothing to do with Ranma if that's what you are thinking", the raven haired girl replied. "In fact he said he liked it short right after it was cut by pig boy. I don't know if he meant it or not but it also doesn't matter. I am doing this for me and me alone. I miss my longer hair and I want it back."

"Speaking of Ranma", Kasumi said carefully as she watched her sister's eyes narrow in irritation, "Are you two going to be okay? It seems like such a shame for you two have so recently professed your love to one another only for you to break up so easily."

"I don't want to talk about him right now", Akane replied slightly heatedly as she clenched her fists and turned around to hide her true reaction of sorrow at missing her girlfriend.

"Alright Akane", the elder Tendo said softly as she placed a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, "I'll pick up the extra ingredients while you are at school tomorrow and you can make it when you come back."

"W-What?", Akane stammered as she turned around in shock. She shook her head back and forth and put her hands up in a warding gesture. "I can't make it Kasumi. I'll just mess it up. Will you please make it for me?"

"I can't little sister", Kasumi said sadly as she frowned. She took the slip of paper back out and handed it to the shorter girl. "Read the whole thing and you'll see why. Now, just because you have to make it doesn't mean I can't help you with it. I will assist where I can, but since this is for you, it's up to you to make it."

Akane read through the list of the ingredients and the instructions and figured out why she was the one that had to make it. The formula required the DNA of the person it was meant for and that was achieved through prolonged contact with each ingredient. If Kasumi or anyone else handled the herbs and spices the formula would incorporate their DNA. Due to the different hair colors of her family and other people, mixing the colors and type of hair could make her look like a circus freak. She laughed inwardly when she thought about the possible result if Ranma helped while a girl. They would wind up with blackish hair with blue highlights with red streaks running through it and would look absolutely ridiculous.

* * *

><p>A little while later the joint families were gathered around the dinner table. Akane looked around while she ate and took stock of everyone's apparent emotional state. Her father and Mr. Saotome were somewhat morose, no doubt subdued slightly because the male half of their scheme was once again missing. She looked over at her older sister, Nabiki, and found an unreadable face gazing back at her with a similar look. The youngest Tendo then turned her attention towards her oldest sister and noted that she was happily discussing the weekend meal planning with Ranma's mother. Akane listened closer and it sounded as though Kasumi was planning on being absent for the weekend.<p>

'_Damn it_', Akane thought to herself as she frowned slightly, '_She must know about the letter and is probably going to insist on coming with me when I leave to "find" Ranma on Friday. Oh well, hopefully she hasn't told anyone else but she'll probably want to talk to me about it tonight._'

"Akane", Soun said hesitantly with a hint of determination underneath, "You are going to make up with Ranma aren't you?"

Immediately everyone else's conversations stopped and everyone held their breath as they waited on pins and needles for the youngest Tendo's response. Akane looked around at everyone and took in their reactions and inwardly grinned. For the first time since the whole arrangement had been forced on her nearly two years ago she was in control. Her father wasn't trying to tell her to get back together with Ranma, he was practically begging her to. Of course she wanted to get back together with her girlfriend but there was no reason for any of them to know that. She could make them sweat a little and maybe get some concessions out of them.

Akane shrugged and picked up her chopsticks again before replying, "Maybe, maybe not."

"What?", Genma replied and said heatedly, "You have to. It's for the good of the schools."

"Saotome…", Soun started in an irritated voice. Telling Akane she had to do something was a sure fire way for her not to do it. Ever since Ranma had shown up they have been tying to force the two of them together and he knew how well that had worked out.

"Husband…", Nodoaka interrupted, steel lining her voice.

"I _have_ to?", Akane interrupted and yelled incredulously as she turned on the balding older man with fury in her eyes. "I _HAVE_ to?"

Nodoka stood up and grabbed her husband by the ear and dragged him away from the table as she said, "Come along husband. You and I are going to have a little chat."

"Um, Akane", Soun said cautiously, noting the anger in his youngest daughter's eyes and body language, "Will you please at least consider getting back together with Ranma?"

Akane glared at her father and the man turned into a blubbering mess as he wailed, "My daughter hates me!"

"Oh Father", Kasumi said gently as she walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Akane doesn't hate you. Certainly you can see that now is not a good time to bring up He Who Shall Not Be Named alright?"

Nabiki sat back and watched the whole scene in amusement and thought, '_As much trouble as they've caused over the years, the Saotomes have definitely been useful for their entertainment value around here at least. I wonder where Ranma ran off to though._'

"Thank you for dinner Kasumi", Akane said as she stood up from the table and headed up the stairs, her good mood from earlier shattered.

* * *

><p>Akane growled in frustration as she walked into her room before closing and locking the door. Why can't people leave her alone about her fiancé? It's always Ranma this and Ranma that… Would she even matter if Ranma had never come? The youngest Tendo walked over to her desk and sat down, burying her head in her arms as she struggled to control her raging emotions. She opened up the top drawer of her desk and re-read Ranma's letter to her, just to give her something to look forward to in a couple days. She read the translation of the 'wrong' characters and smiled, just as she heard a knock at her door. Sighing, Akane put the letter away and walked over to her door and unlocked it before returning to her desk and called out, "Come in."<p>

Kasumi entered the room and closed the door and stood there for a moment before turning back and facing her younger sister. She walked over and sat on Akane's bed and looked at her sister's face and said, "How are you feeling Akane?"

"What do you mean?", the raven haired girl asked, not really sure how to answer the question at the moment.

"Well", Kasumi replied and took her sister's hands in her own, "You seemed pretty upset at dinner about you know who despite your calm demeanor earlier when we were talking in the kitchen."

"You know how much I hated being forced into this engagement from the beginning", Akane said as she withdrew her hands from her sister's loose grip and leaned back in her chair.

Kasumi nodded as the raven haired girl continued and said, "Dad was asking me if I wanted Ranma back, actually asking me rather than telling me. That made me happy, thinking I might have a choice in my life for once. Then the panda decided to ruin everything by demanding I take his son back. How dare he try to tell me what to do. All he does is lounge around leeching off of our family and he spouts off like his opinion means anything!"

"I understand", Kasumi said calmly and bit her lip, pondering whether to bring up the other important thing she wanted to talk to her little sister about.

"Is that all Kasumi?", Akane asked gently, "I have homework I need to get working on if there isn't anything else you want to talk to me about."

"There is one other thing Akane", Kasumi said hesitantly, "but I am not sure I should talk to you about it today. Maybe I should wait till Friday after school."

"What's so important to wait until then that you can't talk to me about now?", Akane asked, knowing full well what her sister was referring to. She didn't want to make the first move on that conversation though since she wanted to maintain her anti-Ranma illusion a little longer. The youngest Tendo also wanted her sister's help in brewing the formula the following day.

"Oh, I think you know little sister", Kasumi said with a teasing smile as she stood up in order to leave the room. "I'll let you get back to your homework and talk to you later alright?"

"Fine", Akane replied as she sighed softly and turned around in order to start working on her trig functions. The raven haired girl didn't particularly care for math but it was important to do well just the same since she wanted to go to university. She wondered idly if she could convince Ranma to buckle down and study so that she could get into the same university as she did. Akane didn't believe they would break up if she didn't, but it would be fun to go to the same school together again wouldn't it? They were going to stay together weren't they?

'_What if Ranma doesn't want to go to college_', Akane mused to herself as a feeling of dread started to form in the pit of her stomach. '_Would we really break up because of that or am I just being paranoid. I don't want to live without her. _Akane slapped herself gently in the forehead as she continued to think, '_Wait a minute, of course we won't break up, we'll be married by then. Didn't we decide we would probably get married for real some time in our senior year?_'

Feeling a lot better, Akane opened her book again and started working on her homework with a little more 'enthusiasm' than before, determined not to have any left to do over the weekend.

* * *

><p>Thursday morning arrived unceremoniously and Akane groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. She swatted at her alarm clock that was squawking at her off to her right and smiled when the thing flew across the room. She must have hit it correctly that time though as it stopped making noise when it hit the wall. She changed into a suitable jogging outfit and left the Tendo compound in order to get started on her day.<p>

Her jog was uneventful as she continued to train on the twenty centimeter wide walls she had worked on the previous morning. She pushed herself a little more by increasing her speed which increased its difficulty significantly enough so that she felt challenged enough without risking injury to herself. She wanted to be able to train that weekend with her girlfriend and it just wouldn't do to get injured beforehand.

Breakfast was the same as it had been the day before with Mr. Saotome wailing about how worthless and cowardly his son was for leaving. Her father went on and on about how the schools would never be joined unless the two of them made up and asked her again if she would consider getting back together with the youngest Saotome. Irritated at the father's antics, Akane left the table in a huff and took a bath before heading off to school.

The walk to school was uneventful this time as there was no trace of Shampoo which the youngest Tendo was grateful for. She stopped outside the gates and groaned as the idiot male population of Furinkan was there. Her eyes widened when she noticed it wasn't just the usual group that composed of the Hentai Horde but others as well. Growling in frustration she charged forward intent on dodging through a hail of fists and weapons just like the day before but was surprised when they didn't attack her. Instead they were clamoring about all asking her to the dance. That was when something interesting happened. The boys started arguing with one another about who should be able to ask her to the dance and she slipped out quietly while they fought amongst themselves.

Yuka and Sayuri walked up to her as she watched the Hentai Horde and the extras beat each other up and Akane quipped, "Boys really are stupid aren't they?"

Her friends nodded and the three girls walked up to their homeroom class as if nothing was going on down in the courtyard. Meanwhile Nabiki watched the horde decimate itself and grinned. She had noticed Akane slipping from the mob and smiled, glad to see her little sister was giving the pathetic perverts the attention they deserved, which was none.

Her morning classes were the same as always except for the mountain of notes she kept receiving and ignored. Akane didn't even bother to read any of them as they were all the same and she had no interest in going to the dance with any of them. The only one she wanted to go with was Ranma. If she couldn't go with him she wouldn't go period. Honestly she would rather go with her girlfriend but that would invite questions she didn't want to answer and rumors she didn't want to hear spread.

Lunch was just as bad as before school was, with guys all begging her to go to the dance with them. Her Soul of Ice finally shattered and all of her bottled anger and rage surged violently through her. Akane stood up and her battle aura exploded around her, wreathing her body in the dark red fire she had had when she yelled at Ryoga. She closed her eyes for a second and channeled her Ki into her hands imagining a katana in them. The weapon appeared in her hands wreathed in the same dark red fire that bathed her body and the raven haired girl took a menacing step forward.

Akane glared at the assembly of boys and screamed, "I am not going to go to the dance with any of you! Now shut up, leave me the hell alone and get out of my sight before I kill you!"

The boys fell back in surprise and fear at the display of power and attempted to disperse rather chaotically. They could feel the energy crackling in the air and the static electricity made Akane's hair stand straight up. Between the fire that surrounded her body, the energy in the air and the sheer fury in her eyes, she looked more demonic than human. If that wasn't enough, the fact that she had conjured a flaming sword out of thin air was enough to make the cowardly perverts in front of her soil their underwear rather spectacularly.

Kuno watched the display and his mind shut down unbelieving what he was seeing. His fierce tigress was fierce indeed, but she was no longer the perfect flower he had always built her up to be in his mind. She was a demoness that had been possessed and corrupted by the foul sorcerer Saotome. The delusional kendoist vowed the next time he saw the wretched snake he would make him pay for corrupting the beautiful rose Akane Tendo had once been.

Yuka and Sayuri stared at their friend in a mixture of fear, awe and confusion as they slowly backed away from their emotional friend. Even though they knew they had nothing to worry about personally, it was still truly a frightening thing to witness. They prayed they would never see a display like that ever again and definitely never wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

After all of the boys scurried away like the rats they were, Akane dismissed her Ki-katana and sat down on the grass feeling emotionally and physically drained. It took a few minutes of her body shaking in exertion for her to calm herself down. The raven haired girl wasn't used to expending her Ki in such ways and usually only powered a slight blue aura and her strength. This time she had tapped deeper into her emotional reserves and had actually conjured a weapon out of Ki. She was excited at the expansion of her abilities but at the same time she didn't want to have to use anger or hate to trigger them. That was the reason she started using the Soul of Ice to begin with as she wanted to be in control of her emotions and not let them consume her like they had in the past. Apparently it wasn't a foolproof method though. Every single time she had used it lately she actually exploded even more violently than she in the past.

'_I'll have to ask Ranma about that. She knows about Ki and would be willing to help me, unlike the old ghoul_', Akane mused to herself as she noticed her two best friends slowly walking towards her with fear in their eyes. The youngest Tendo bowed her head slightly and said in a friendly and gentle manner, "I'm alright now girls. I'm still sane I promise."

"Uh, what happened?", Yuka asked hesitantly as if she was afraid her friend would explode any second again.

"I blew my top", Akane quipped and she giggled. Yuka and Sayuri laughed nervously but then noticed how relaxed their friend was again and decided that things were alright. The rest of lunch was rather uneventful much to their delight. The bell rang and the three girls went back inside, wondering what the rest of the day would bring considering the remaining classes were Home Economics and Gym.

* * *

><p>"I'm home", Akane called cheerfully as she walked in through the front door. She was practically bouncing up and down in her excitement.<p>

"Welcome home", Kasumi said with a smile on her face as the two Tendo sisters walked back into the kitchen. "I picked up everything you're going to need for your little science experiment."

"Okay, I'll be right back", the raven haired girl said as she ran upstairs in order to change. There was no sense in ruining her school uniform if something happened. She changed into a drab pair of sweatpants and an older t-shirt before coming back down to the kitchen.

"Alright Akane", Kasumi said gently as she handed her the recipe, "Here is your list of ingredients and instructions. You're going to need to get everything out that you'll need beforehand and pay careful attention to what you add and when."

"It's just like cooking", the raven haired girl said as she put on a blue apron with white ducks on them, "Ranma said something to me the other day when we were walking home from school that really made a lot of sense. All this time I thought you and Auntie were throwing random things in because you never seem to measure anything or look at a cook book. He said that you had long ago memorized what you needed and that nothing you were doing was random at all."

"He's right, wait, does this mean you have cooked something that has turned out alright?", Kasumi asked excitedly but then looked apologetic when she realized what she had said.

"Remember those brownies we brought home on Tuesday?", Akane asked with a brilliant smile on her face, deciding that Kasumi's comment was justified due from her efforts in the past.

"Yes, you told us that you picked them up from the bakery on the way home, but you didn't did you. You made those at school but you didn't want us to run away and hide without trying them first", the eldest Tendo daughter said as she nodded her head in understanding.

Akane nodded as she bowed her head, "I'm sorry for lying to you Kasumi, but I really wanted everyone to actually try them and I didn't think anyone would. Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma all said they were good but even with their support I wasn't sure you would try them."

"It's alright little sister", Kasumi said gently, "I understand why you did. Now then, let's make your hair formula so I can have my kitchen back in time to make dinner okay?"

The raven haired girl nodded and read through the list of ingredients. Since she didn't know where anything was she asked her sister and Kasumi gladly showed her where they were kept. Not that the eldest daughter thought Akane would remember, but it was still good practice. The younger girl needed to handle all of the ingredients herself anyway because of the whole DNA infusion thing the recipe required. A few minutes later the counter was covered with various herbs and spices.

Akane sighed when she read the first line of the instructions. They said to boil some water which she could have started before gathering the ingredients and saved a little time. Kasumi giggled slightly and Akane shot her a glare. She shrugged and continued to laugh quietly covering her mouth with a hand.

"This is a learning experience Akane", Kasumi replied, "Try to relax and enjoy yourself, but be careful. You're a beginner after all. Make sure you take the time you need in order to make sure that you do it right."

As the instructions stated, Akane added one ingredient at a time after rubbing the herbs between her hands for a minute. The purpose of that was to allow the outmost layer of her skin to rub into the ingredients and infuse her genetic material into them. After about twenty minutes, everything was in the cook pot with the exception of the final ingredient, a few drops of her blood. The raven haired girl pulled a knife from out of the drawer and pricked her left fore finger over the concoction and watched as the red liquid dripped into the pot. The formula exploded slightly when the blood hit the surface of the water causing Akane and Kasumi to leap backwards in surprise and fright.*

"Uh", Akane stuttered hesitantly, "Was it supposed to explode like that?"

"I don't know", Kasumi replied uncertainly, "There is nothing in the instructions about it exploding. It looks alright though, maybe it was supposed to do that?"

"Maybe", the raven haired girl replied slowly as she shrugged. "Well, according to this we have to let it sit uncontaminated for at least twelve hours and then apply it to my scalp."

"Remember Akane", the elder Tendo said, "You can't let your head get wet by showering, bathing or sweating as the water will make it run out and encourage hair to grow elsewhere, like your face and back. Perhaps you should stay home from school tomorrow. It would be easier than trying to excuse you from gym class."

Akane blanched at the thought of having a hairy face and nodded her head affirmatively. The youngest Tendo looked at the clock and it said 4:30pm and said, "Alright. I can use the time to catch up on the homework I missed while I was in China. Will you help me apply the formula? I can't be sure I'll hit every area and it should be alright if you use sterilized gloves."

Kasumi nodded and said, "I'll get you up around 5:00am then. Ranma's going to be in for a nice surprise when you see him tomorrow night assuming you decide to go 'find' him and the formula works that quickly."

"You know about the letter then don't you?", Akane replied as she covered up her cooling hair formula and put it in the refrigerator.

"Yes", Kasumi replied, "In fact I think I knew about it before you did. I found it on your desk before you woke up. I shouldn't have read it though seeing as how it was addressed to you. I'm sorry but I had to know. I felt his presence leave and I was worried."

Akane smirked inwardly and thought, '_Not likely considering I was there when she wrote it and you weren't. I wonder if you found the secret message as well._' She turned to her sister and asked quietly, "You didn't tell anyone else did you?"

"No", the older girl replied as she hugged her little sister, "I think the time and space away from each other has been good for both of you. If he had stayed I can only imagine how much you two would have fought with one another and damaged your budding relationship. As it is, you've had a chance to cool down a little and think things through. I am proud of you Akane, you seem to be growing up and you've been doing well in keeping your temper under control for the most part. I am wondering something though, are you willing to give Ranma another chance?"

"Thanks", Akane replied, certain she would have felt insulted and gotten angry a year ago. "I was planning on going to the campsite tomorrow after school so we could talk things out and get passed this whole P-chan thing. Before that bombshell exploded this week we had planned to go away for the weekend on a training trip."

"Oh my!", Kasumi exclaimed, "You two aren't married, you really shouldn't be camping together alone. It just wouldn't be proper."

"I figured you would say something like that", Akane replied with amusement dancing in her brown eyes. "I thought either you would insist on coming with me to chaperon us, he could swear on his honor to remain a girl the entire trip or both."

"Hmm", the elder girl said thoughtfully as she tapped the counter with her fingers, "I don't recall seeing anything in the letter about him remaining female the whole time."

"He has that waterproof soap you wanted to punish him with", Akane grinned wolfishly and Kasumi gasped before hanging her head and sighed.

"I don't know what I was thinking when I asked Cologne for it", Kasumi said as she frowned. "Even if he hated his girl form still which I am not convinced that he does honestly, I wouldn't have wanted to punish you by depriving you of your boyfriend. I'm sorry Akane, I just don't know what came over me."

"It's fine Kasumi", Akane said softly as she hugged her sister again, "He left so I've been without my boyfriend but that's a good thing. I didn't want to be around him for awhile anyway." '_Now her on the other hand, I have missed horribly and I can't wait to see her again_', the youngest Tendo thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Dinner that night started out peaceful enough and everyone was enjoying the great meal that Kasumi and Nodoka had put together. Kasumi and Nodoka were having a pleasant conversation about one thing or another. Nabiki was looking around with a crafty expression in her eyes as though she was waiting for something to happen. Akane was eating her meal slowly fully expecting her father and Mr. Saotome to bother her about Ranma yet again as she found herself missing her girlfriend for the thousandth time that day.<p>

"Akane", Soun said sternly, "Family honor demands that you get back together with Ranma."

"Dad!", Akane yelled as she shot her father a harsh glare that Kasumi and Nabiki added to, "The more you ask, demand, beg or anything else the less likely I am to do it. Quit bothering me about it. If it happens it'll happen because we want it to, not because you or the panda insist on it. Haven't you learned anything since the Saotomes showed up?"

"But Akane…", Soun started.

"No Soun", Nodoka interrupted with a hint of steel in her voice, "She's right. Even if she wasn't a teenager and rebellious by nature, the more you push the more you drive a wedge between what you're trying to push together. Why are you in such a hurry, just leave them alone and let them work it out for themselves."

"Thank you Auntie", Akane said as she smiled at her future mother-in-law.

"I'm afraid your father and my husband do not really understand relationships all that well so it's a good thing I am here to straighten things out once in awhile. Unfortunately I believe Ranma is the same way but he isn't here to defend himself so I shouldn't speak ill of him."

Nabiki and Akane snickered at that while Kasumi covered her mouth and politely giggled while the males fumed in indignation.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening was uneventful. After having a rather relaxing bath, Akane went upstairs to her room and worked on her homework in an effort to take her mind off her girlfriend. The last day or so had been really tough on her. In an effort to keep from feeling too depressed she tried to keep herself busy.<p>

'_Less than twenty four hours now_', Akane thought to herself as a small smile formed on her lips. All she had to do was wait a little longer and she would be with her girlfriend again hopefully. The raven haired girl realized she might see Ranma's male form again and wasn't quite sure she was ready for that. She knew she definitely wasn't ready to accept him as her boyfriend again yet.

The youngest Tendo hoped Kasumi wouldn't come along but she knew she might as well be asking for the sun to forget to rise or for Kuno to actually be somewhat sane. She deemed it improper, and maybe it was, for the two of them to be alone at the campsite together when they weren't married. There was no guarantee that Ranma would be temporarily locked as a girl so there was really no chance that Kasumi wouldn't come along in order to chaperon. Having her sister around as a third wheel would definitely put a crimp in their romantic activities.

She giggled softly to herself as she thought, '_Maybe Ranma and I should get married sooner than later after all. Our fathers would stop badgering us and Kasumi wouldn't be able to object to impropriety anymore at least as a traditional couple. I'll bet none of them would be particularly happy if they were to learn the true nature of our relationship though._'

Akane didn't want anyone, not her best friends, and definitely not her family, to know that they were romantically involved with each other when they were both girls. She was okay with her sisters knowing they loved each other but wanted them to assume that they only shared those feelings with one another as a traditional couple. Still, she knew it was only a matter of time before someone caught them kissing as girls.

For the meantime though, having a secret relationship with Ranma's girl side was rather intoxicating and exciting for her. Was that why her Ki-kiss only worked when Ranma was a girl? Was the thrill of being caught in a lesbian relationship the driving force? No, it wasn't only that though she was quite certain it contributed a fair amount. She knew from experience that she let herself go and completely opened her heart and soul when she kissed her girlfriend which in turn allowed her passion to explode from within her. When she kissed her girlfriend's male form that one day she had held back quite a bit and never allowed herself to surrender herself completely. Perhaps in time she could. Perhaps not.

The youngest Tendo sobered and her eyes shimmered as she suddenly felt really depressed. Akane sighed as she thought, '_I miss you Ranma._'

'_Soon, my daughter, soon…_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _

* * *

><p><span><em>Akane's current aura color combinations:<em>

_Ki-cocoon: White, Pink, Red - Confidence, Love, Passion_

_Flaming Battle Aura: Dark Red, Black - Anger, Hate_

* * *

><p><em>*This is a tribute to the television show "Charmed". Frequently when the Halliwell Sisters were making vanquishing potions they would add a final ingredient (blood or demon flesh) and the potion would explode signifying it was ready.<em>


	7. Just Who is Ranma Saotome Anyway?

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

_**The Heart of Akane Tendo**_

Chapter Six

_Just Who is Ranma Saotome Anyway? _

.

.

_"Tell you what Akane", Ranma replied with a smile on her face, "Why don't you yell at me when you find me this weekend. I'm sure I'll do something to deserve it. Oh, by the way, make sure you bring a swimsuit with you. I am going to teach your lead filled ass how to swim."_

_"RAAAAAANNNNNMMMMAAAAAA!", Akane yelled as the girl in question grinned and then bolted out of the room in order avoid the raven haired girl's half hearted punch. The youngest Tendo stopped and started laughing. She silently thanked her girlfriend for the chance to yell at her even though she didn't mean anything by it. Akane's face split into a sunny smile as she whispered to herself, "I love you Ranma."_

Ranma fled her girlfriend's room with a silly grin plastered on her face as she ducked into the guestroom. She knew she had to go soon as it seemed inevitable that the rest of the family would have heard the tomboy's mock angry yell. She knew Akane loved her, there was no doubt about that, but given the whole P-chan fiasco she felt it would do their relationship some good if she was gone for a few days. Neither one of them wanted to go back to fighting with one another and perhaps their separation would make their hearts grow fonder.

She looked through her pack one last time in order to make sure she had everything packed when her eyes fell on the water-proof soap Kasumi had gotten from Cologne. Ranma was fairly sure she was going to be alone out in the woods so her form wouldn't matter particularly. Deciding she wanted to be prepared for everything and anything, she packed the special soap as well as a few more items from her girl collection. The red-head sighed heavily before slipping out of her bedroom window and onto the roof.

Ranma flew across the Nerima skyline away from the Tendo estate towards the outskirts of town when she stopped for a moment and smelled herself. Frowning in distaste, she detoured towards a public bathhouse. The red haired girl landed on the roof and shivered briefly and thought how wonderful a hot bath would feel on her cold body. This, of course, was a problem since she was currently female. Ranma couldn't very well enter the men's side in her current form nor could she stay in the women's side once the hot water hit her unless she used the special soap.

* * *

><p>The red haired girl dropped down to the street and walked into the bathhouse. She looked at the pricing board and figured a basic bath is all she really needed at the moment. Ranma wasn't sure what an herbal wrap entailed and the thought of bathing in mud just sounded weird to her. Wasn't the point of taking a bath to get clean? How was bathing in wet dirt going to help? A massage sounded promising but since she wasn't all that sore at the moment she decided to pass on that.<p>

"Welcome to Junkari's miss", the girl behind the cash register said in a friendly manner with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "What kind of service would you like this evening?"

"I would like the basic bath please. How long do I have before closing time?", Ranma asked as she dropped her pack on the floor and began rifling through one of the pouches that contain some money. She pulled out a 500 yen coin and handed it to the other girl as she hefted her pack again.

Keiko took the coin and placed it within the cash register as she regarded her customer with a careful eye. The pack looked really heavy and had to be nearly as big as she was. How on earth did such a petite girl carry such a thing, and so easily too? The girl looked worn as though she was used to hardship. Was she just traveling or was the red-head running away from home with everything she could carry on her back? It wasn't her business, but maybe this girl was in trouble and needed help.

The brown haired cashier looked up at the wall clock and said, "You have just under two hours until closing time." She lowered her voice and said in concern, "If you don't mind me asking though, are you running away from a bad situation at home?"

Ranma looked down at the floor and fidgeted briefly before nodding her head slowly and replied quietly, "Sort of."

After a few moments of silence and it became obvious that the red-head in front of her wasn't going to elaborate, Keiko sighed and informed the smaller girl where the towels were and wished her a pleasant bath. Ranma thanked the girl and walked through the door leading to the women's side and disappeared. The cashier watched the other girl walk away for a few moments and a sadness crept into her green eyes. Keiko had always been something of a busybody and wanted to try to help the other girl but couldn't really do anything if the red-head didn't open up.

'_Silly girl_', Keiko chastised herself as she played with her long chestnut colored hair tied that was tied in a loose pony tail, '_Why would she open up to you? She's never seen you before tonight and has no idea who you are. She seems troubled though. I wonder if I can help..._'

Ranma walked down the hallway that lead to the woman's locker room as she thought about her reaction to the cashier's question. In a way she was running away from a bad situation at home but probably nothing like the other girl was thinking. The red-head was really glad the girl hadn't asked anything after that as she really didn't want to talk about what was bothering her with a stranger. Ranma just wanted to relax in a nice hot bath before she had to deal with finding a place to stay for the night. She would set out for the campsite in the morning when she could actually see where she was going.

'_Hmm_', Ranma thought to herself as she stripped off her clothes and placed them back inside her backpack. _'Why did I have to leave at all? Akane and I were getting along just fine after we talked. If she needed time and space, couldn't we have just pretended to ignore one another after all? No, whether she realized it or not she had to have been mad at me still. If I stayed we might have gotten into a real fight despite what we promised one another Monday at the Meiji Shrine. I kept that promise by talking to her earlier tonight but I don't want to push things. It's only three days and maybe we'll be even stronger come Friday. Oh who am I kidding, Akane my love, I miss you already..._'

The red haired girl put her hand to her lips, trying to imagine her girlfriend's soft lips gently touching hers. It was going to be a long three days. Ranma sighed and pulled out her bathing supplies and looked longingly over at the hot water baths. She could still wash herself with regular soap and be clean without locking herself as a girl if she stayed out of the hot water. Shaking her head, as taking the hot water bath was what had drawn her into the building in the first place. She pulled out the water-proof soap and nodded her head in conviction.

'_It only lasts for a few days right?_', Ranma thought to herself as she looked at the special soap in her hand and weighed taking a bath without problems versus not being able to turn back into a guy for a day or so. '_Actually, now would be the perfect time to remain a girl and experiment for a few days to see how I feel about it. I won't have to worry about Mom and Pop harping on me about that lame man amongst men bullshit because I'm a girl. Mr. Tendo won't be crying a river because he doesn't think the schools will be joined. I can finally just be... myself..._'

Ranma placed her pack in a locker and walked over towards the long row of sinks, stools and mirrors. She sat down on a stool and stared at her naked reflection in the mirror and offered the other girl a small but sad smile. The Saotome heiress undid her ponytail and shook her head gently side to side as she watched as her flaming red hair cascaded down her back and atop her generous breasts. Ranma casually twirled some of her scarlet hair in the fingers of her left hand as she stared into her stormy blue eyes.

The red haired girl sighed heavily as she reached for her reflection with her right hand. Her fingers touched the cool glass and in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked herself, "Who are you?"

The image in the mirror didn't respond of course and just stared right back her. Ranma could feel her eyes begin to shimmer slightly as her heart ached for her girlfriend's soft and loving touch. She filled a tub of cold water and dumped it over her head and then proceeded to lather up a washcloth with the special soap. Ranma scrubbed herself clean, not paying much attention to where she was scrubbing for most of her body. She did, however, slow down and began to take special notice when she washed her breasts. The Saotome heiress started to feel a tingling sensation spread through her body. She fought to suppress her moans as she was not alone in the bathhouse and continued to gently massage her breasts and nipples.

'_Damn, I sure wish Akane was here right now. Actually scratch that, I wish we were somewhere else together_', Ranma thought as she bit down harder in order to keep her moans from escaping her mouth. The tingling sensation started to feel more powerful and changed into an internal fire that she recognized all to well. Earlier that evening she had felt it when the two of them passionately kissed one another and their breasts rubbed against each other. It had felt really nice then and it was even more powerful now because there weren't two bras and blouses in the way to dampen the feelings. She could feel her womanhood heating up and she hadn't even touched it yet. Ranma knew she had to get herself under control or she would really embarrass herself.

'_Kami-sama I am a pervert. This feels really good though. If this is how it feels by myself, how much better will it feel when Akane touches me like this?_', Ranma thought to herself as she stopped rubbing her breasts. She took the washcloth and paid a visit to the tender flesh of her womanhood between her legs and gasped at the touch. The slow burning warmth that was spreading throughout her body suddenly exploded in a firestorm of heat and pleasure as she squeaked in surprise before she could completely clamp her mouth shut. She looked up as she felt the blood rush to her face causing her to blush furiously when she saw the other women in the bath suddenly look over at her in surprise. Ranma just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear at that point but the Earth refused to open up and swallow her.

Ranma finished washing and tried to avoid lingering on her erogenous zones the second time around seeing as how she really didn't want to attract more attention to herself than she already had. The other women had glared at her in disapproval after their initial shock before returning to their conversations. When she was done scrubbing her body, she shampooed her hair and used a very low level _Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken_ in order to massage her scalp with her very quick fingers. She suppressed the urge to moan again and rolled her eyes, was there nothing that turned her on? It seemed as though her entire body could cause her to become aroused in one way or another a little too easily.

'_That should come in handy when Akane and I are alone again but I need to stop now before I go crazy in a public bathhouse_', Ranma thought to herself wryly as she considered more possibilities for things they could do when their relationship expanded beyond hugs and kisses. The red haired girl dumped a bucket of cold water over herself in an effort to shock her perverted thoughts out of her mind. The water did wonders for washing out the shampoo and soap, but it also seemed to dampen her arousal some which was helpful.

The red haired girl walked over towards the hot bath and prayed that she had actually used water-proof soap and not some practical joke. The other women had already given her some harsh glares earlier because she had been pleasuring herself a little too much. If she change back into a guy now she would really be in trouble. Fortunately for her nothing happened when she slid into the water and sighed in contentment. It was nice to be able to take a hot bath as a girl since it was such a rare occurrence thanks to her hot water curse.

'_I think the last time I could do this was when Herb locked me for awhile a few months ago_', Ranma thought as she laid back in the pool of water and closed her eyes. The hot liquid washed over her body and she felt her muscles relax completely.

Ranma began to wonder if she should write a letter to the Musk Prince and ask him for some Nyannīchuan water from the locking ladle. The thought of spending the rest of her life as a girl really didn't terrify her anymore. The love of her life, Akane, had not only completely accepted that side of her but actually preferred it as far as she could tell. Lately she had been feeling a lot more comfortable as a girl and part of her was curious as to why while the other didn't care one bit. Were her feelings in response to her girlfriend's preference or was it something else? Was it possible that the Jusenkyo magic was acting up and was luring her to actually become her curse? Perhaps some part of her that was buried deep inside had always wanted to be a girl that she had been unaware of for so long.

The Saotome heiress looked down at herself in the water and gently cupped her breasts as she giggled softly and thought, '_You used to be Ranma Saotome, man amongst men. Some man you turned out to be but maybe that isn't a bad thing. Perhaps the boy form you've had for most of your life was the illusion and this is who you truly are. Could you really be a girl deep inside after all?_'

Had the seed been planted deep within her before the ten years of hell she had spent with father on the training trip? Ranma knew she hated the whole 'man amongst men' crap her old man had demanded of her at every turn. The panda would mistreat her horribly and then yell at her if she happened to cry or act like any normal six to sixteen year old child. Her overbearing and misogynistic drill instructor of a father had always told her that women were silly, weak and a distraction from the Art. Ranma was more determined than ever to break away from that narrow-minded view as women were hardly weak. Akane for instance, how was she weak with her Ki powered gorilla strength? What about Ukyo, Shampoo and Cologne? There was also the fact that the old fool was afraid of his own non-martial artist wife.

'_Pops doesn't have a clue what he's talking about as usual_', Ranma thought to herself as she flexed her muscles underneath the hot bath water. The red haired girl smirked as another though crossed her mind, '_Maybe it's time to start driving the old man crazy as he did me for too long. I think I'll stay a girl for awhile and start beating him up in the morning spars again. Maybe then he'll rescind this foolish notion that women are weak and worthless. I also need to find some other interests like Nabiki suggested. I am too one dimensional, thanks Pop, and while the Art is important to me it isn't the only thing worth doing._'

A little while later, Ranma awoke to someone gently shaking her shoulders. She looked up into the green eyes of the cashier she had talked to earlier. Keiko inform her that it was getting to be closing time and that she needed to be leaving soon. The red haired girl looked around and noticed she was the only customer remaining in the baths and nodded her head weakly as she rose out of the warm water on wobbly legs.

"Here, let me help you. You've been in there for quite awhile", Keiko said gently as she took the red-head's hand into her own and wrapped the other girl in a towel. The chestnut haired girl wrapped an arm around Ranma's waist in order to stabilize her. The Saotome heiress thanked the girl as she smiled slightly despite feeling a little uncomfortable with the contact. Once again someone other than her girlfriend was touching her in perhaps a slightly inappropriate manner as Nabiki had done earlier in the evening. Her knees were too weak to stand on her own though so she trudged along as the other girl helped her over towards the lockers.

"My name is Keiko, are you going to be alright miss?", the brown haired girl asked in concern as she looked at the shorter red-head next to her. "Do you need a place to stay tonight?"

"I should be alright", Ranma replied with a slight smile on her face, "I've spent most of my life on the road training in martial arts and camping out. Thank you for your concern though, it's appreciated. My name is Ranma."

Keiko raised an eyebrow in skepticism but nodded her head as she replied, "Nice to meet you Ranma. I'll give you some privacy so you can get dressed."

"Thank you. It was nice to meet you too", Ranma replied as she waited for the other girl to leave the room before unwrapping the towel that provided some modesty. She dried herself off and changed into a clean set of underwear and then put on a blue Chinese shirt and a pair of black drawstring pants. The Saotome heiress didn't have to worry about changing forms for awhile but she had only brought along clothing that was suitable for hiking and camping.

Ranma stared at herself in the mirror again for a few moments as she looked at her wild mane of flaming red hair. She pulled out a hairbrush and looked at it not remembering when she had gotten it. In the past she had paid very little attention to her hair and braided it into a pigtail. Recently she had started wearing it in a ponytail since she didn't have to worry about the Dragon Whisker curse anymore. She sighed and brushed it out deciding that she would wear it down for awhile and see if she liked it that way.

She turned to her left and noticed that her hair reached a quarter of the way down her back and thought, '_This is a decent length for me but it wouldn't hurt to grow it out a little bit more so that it reaches the middle of my back. I don't think I want it to go down to my waist or anything like that though. I wish Akane would grow her hair out. It's too short the way it is now and she looks more like a boy than I do._'

* * *

><p>Ranma walked out of the bathhouse after saying goodbye to Keiko and leapt up onto the rooftops. It was almost 10:00pm and due to her heat induced nap she wasn't feeling particularly tired at the moment. Ranma shivered in the cold evening air and pulled out a jacket but found its warmth rather lacking. The red haired girl paced back and forth on the roof of the bathhouse trying to clear her mind so she could figure out her next move.<p>

'_It's so cold out here. What was I thinking leaving tonight and going camping of all things?_', Ranma berated herself as she shivered despite her jacket. She considered going back to the Tendo's for a few moments where it was warmer but then shook her head. No, she had left in order to give Akane some time and space and couldn't very well go back on that after three lousy hours. Perhaps she should take Keiko up on her offer. Ranma jumped back down to the street and walked into the bathhouse.

"Um, Keiko?", Ranma said with a sheepish smile on her face, "Can I talk to you about your offer of a place to stay? It's a little colder out there than I thought it was."

"Sure", the chestnut haired girl said happily as her face lit up with a dazzling smile, "You can spend the night at my house."

Ranma felt a warning flag appear in her mind as she recalled the last time a stranger had offered her a place to stay for the evening. That Sakura woman had tried to steal her innocence and a kiss before she had confessed to her girlfriend and fiancée Akane.

"Don't worry Ranma", Keiko said softly as she noticed the look of concern on the other girl's face. "My parents won't mind and my boyfriend won't get jealous. We're both girls after all so it's not like I am going to try to kiss you or anything. I just thought you would be really cold sleeping outside. At least tomorrow you'll be able to get to some place warm."

"Thank you", Ranma replied sincerely. "Anything I can do to help to repay you for your hospitality?"

"Don't worry about it", the cashier replied as she finished zeroing out the register and cleaning up the lobby. "You'll be my guest for the evening, after all friends should help one another shouldn't they?"

"Friends?", Ranma repeated to herself too softly for Keiko to hear. It was such an alien concept to her, someone offering to be her friend without wanting something in return. She wondered if this was a glimpse into what a normal life was like as opposed to the insanity that was _her_ normal life. Perhaps she and Keiko could become friends.

"Okay", Keiko said happily as she started walking towards the door after putting on a jacket, "I'm ready to go. The cleaning crew will lock up when they are done."

Ranma nodded and the two girls walked out into the chilly evening air and they both shivered.

"Seriously Ranma, you were going to camp out in this?", the chestnut haired girl asked incredulously.

"I thought I was", Ranma replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She sighed inwardly when she thought how months ago she would have been so filled with macho pride she would have done it without a second thought. The Saotome heiress knew abandoning the whole 'man amongst men' mentality and how he, when she was a he, had to face every any challenge was a smart plan. Oh sure, she might be tough but there was no reason to add stupid and uncomfortable to her already unusual character description.

"I live this way", Keiko said as she pointed towards the west side of town. The two girls walked for awhile idly talking and getting to know one another when they arrived at a modest one story red bricked house with a fenced in yard.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask", Ranma said hesitantly as they stood on the porch and her companion pulled out a house key, "You don't have a cat do you?"

"No", the brown haired girl replied sadly as she looked over at her companion and noticed a trace of fear in the other girl's blue eyes, "Mom's allergic even though I would love to have one. Are you allergic as well?"

"Yes", Ranma replied as she sighed in relief. It wasn't technically true but it was close enough without going into the whole Nekoken story. Besides, if allergic meant a severe reaction to the allergen and that included losing one's mind and becoming dangerous, it was accurate enough. Keiko nodded in understanding and unlocked the door.

* * *

><p>The two girls walked in and introductions were made between Ranma and Keiko's parents, Mokoto and Akira. The brown haired girl led her new friend down the hall to her room so she could drop off her pack. Keiko pointed out Miki's room, who was her younger sister, before they went back out into the kitchen in order to eat a light dinner. Ranma found her new friend's parents pleasant enough and answered some of their questions about her past. She left out some of the more unbelievable things like the Nekoken, Jusenkyo, Chinese Amazons and her superhuman fights against Herb and Saffron.<p>

"So Ranma", Akira asked sweetly, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No", Ranma replied as pleasantly as she could despite the fact that the topic made her nauseous.

"A beautiful girl like you? Why not, do you not like guys or something?", she asked, not aware of the true scope of the situation.

"Mom!", Keiko yelled in the red haired girl's defense, "How can you ask my new friend something like that?"

"My apologies", the older woman said with a smile and continued, "I meant no offense. I just find it hard to believe that a gorgeous young woman like yourself would be unattached. If I had a son I would have already tried to play matchmaker."

"Mother", Keiko said in a warning tone, "You're embarrassing her. Maybe she hasn't found a guy she can tolerate yet, let alone want to be with. She goes to Furinkan High which isn't the best place to find a suitable boyfriend considering its supposed 'prime specimen'. I remember hearing a story about some crazy upper classman, Tatewaki Kuno I believe was his name", Ranma nodded, "issued some sort of challenge that no one could date a certain girl, Akane Tendo", Ranma nodded again, "without beating her in combat first. As a result, she was mobbed by dozens of stupid perverts every morning for weeks until it suddenly stopped. I think the girl got engaged or something and they finally left her alone more or less. If that is the mentality of the boys at her school, I can see why Ranma wouldn't want anything to do with them."

"Oh my!", Akira replied in a very Kasumish manner, "That's so horrible. I'm sorry Ranma."

"It's okay", Ranma replied as she offered the women a ghost of a smile. "Akane is one of my best friends and I've tried to help her out when I can. The Hentai Horde gave up for awhile so it was only Kuno that bothered us. Unfortunately, I think they might be starting up again although for some reason they left us alone this morning. I doubt we'll be so lucky tomorrow."

"We? Oh, right. It started with Akane but I'm sure they plagued you just as much as they did her", Keiko said as she shook her head in disgust. Ranma nodded in agreement.

A little while later, Keiko's parents wished the two girls a good night and retired to their room. Ranma and Keiko left the kitchen and went back to the brown haired girl's room as it was getting pretty late at this point and they both had school in the morning.

"I hope this is okay", Keiko said hesitantly as she pulled out a spare futon from underneath her western style bed.

"This is more than okay Keiko, thank you for your friendship and hospitality", Ranma replied as she set up the futon and climbed inside, not feeling particularly eager to strip in front of the other girl.

Ranma looked over at her new friend only to look away when she noticed that the girl had stripped out of her street clothes. Keiko was wearing only a pair of white panties when she pulled out a nightgown and put it on before crawling into bed. Even though she dearly loved Akane, the red-head was a die hard lesbian and was far from dead. Her new friend was a very beautiful girl with generous curves complimented by fairly large and perky breasts. Her long chestnut colored hair coiled around her body like a snake and framed her toned and slightly tanned body perfectly. The girl might not be a martial artist but she sure kept herself in fine shape.

Keiko looked over at her red haired companion and wondered why the girl was going to try to sleep in street clothes.

'_Maybe she always sleeps fully clothed_', the brown haired girl mused thoughtfully, '_She's a martial artist and it sounds like she gets attacked, even at home, on a somewhat regular basis. That's reason enough to always be clothed if she can help it. Come to think of it, she did seem a little uncomfortable when I woke her up in the bath and was really grateful when I offered her the towel._'

"G'night Keiko", Ranma said sleepily as she closed her eyes as she tried to clear her mind. The Saotome heiress kept seeing Keiko's very shapely and very nude body just before the girl had put on a nightgown replay itself over and over. Refusing to allow herself to cheat on her girlfriend, even if it was only in her mind, she summoned a picture of Akane and focused on the raven haired girl's facial features. She gently placed two fingers on her lips and smiled as she imagined that her love was kissing her goodnight.

"Good night Ranma", Keiko replied as she continued to think about some of the things that the other girl had told her about herself before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning Ranma awoke feeling warm and comfortable as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room as memories of the previous night came back to her and noticed that Keiko was missing and her bed was made. The red haired girl climbed out of her futon and put it away after stripping off the sheets and bundling them up in her arms.<p>

"Oh you're awake", Akira replied as she poked her head into the room. "Oh don't worry about that. Come out to the kitchen and I'll fix you something to eat. Keiko and Miki had to go to school today and left already."

"What time is it?", Ranma asked as she rubbed her eyes trying to get the sleepiness out of them.

"It's after 9:00am", the older woman said pleasantly.

"Argh", the red head groaned as she slapped her forehead. "I'm late. I was going to go to school today."

"You still can but you really ought to eat something before you go", Keiko's mother replied.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Your family has been so kind to me by allowing me to stay last night...", Ranma said as she started to stand up.

"Thank you for your offer", Akira said as she gently pushed Ranma back into her seat, "Don't worry about it though, it was our pleasure. You know Keiko really doesn't make friends that easily so it was nice to see her connect with someone and bring her home with her."

"She seemed so outgoing", Ranma said slowly, "How would such a friendly girl not make friends easily?"

The mother laughed quietly and shook her head as she said, "I guess she hasn't turned you into her newest project then. My daughter has quite the reputation of being a busybody. She means well, but a lot of her ideas for her friends tends to backfire on them. As a consequence she's lost some friends over the years and others are very wary of her. She spends a lot of her time alone if she's not with her boyfriend who doesn't seem to mind her meddling."

"I see", the Saotome heiress said softly, "I really hope she doesn't try to do that with me. I already have several people in my life that are constantly interfering and trying to get me to see things their way. Part of the reason I ran away was to get away from that for a few days."

* * *

><p>Ranma left the house after thanking Keiko's mother for her hospitality and headed for Furinkan High. She figured she had until about 1:00pm before she would have to leave in order to make sure she arrived at the campsite and set up before dark. The red haired girl would also need to catch some dinner, whether that was game in the forest or fish in the lake didn't really matter. There were some travel rations in her bag but those were hardly filling.<p>

'_Perhaps Pops was right_', she mused as she walked along towards her school lost in thought, '_I have gotten spoiled from Kasumi's wonderful cooking. I've forgotten what's it like to actually live off the trail for a time. The rice packets will be somewhat filling but I really should have put more thought into this and packed more food._'

The Saotome heiress leapt onto a nearby rooftop so she could see where she was in relation to her destination. She needed to make sure Ukyo was at school before heading to Ucchan's in order to talk to Konatsu. She also wanted to talk to Mousse but didn't want to have to deal with the old ghoul or Shampoo.

'_My disguises won't help me this time_', Ranma thought to herself as she picked up her pace to a fast run, '_I actually need Konatsu and Mousse to recognize me and if I have to go to the Nekohanten I am doomed anyway. Cologne can sense my aura so no amount of girl clothing, wigs and glasses would help there. It's just as well, all of that stuff is back at the Tendo's and I don't need that complication either._'

Ranma arrived at her destination a few minutes later and dropped down into an alleyway near the front gates of the school. She engaged her _Umisen-ken_ and walked onto the school grounds under a cloak of invisibility. Despite the shady purpose it was originally designed for it really did come in handy for stealth and reconnaissance missions as well. She crept along the second floor hallway and looked into her classroom. Her eyes fell upon her girlfriend and for a moment she nearly lost the concentration needed to maintain the invisibility cloak.

'_Kami-sama she is so beautiful_', Ranma sighed wistfully as she took in Akane's facial features, including the cute little pout the girl was wearing then. Suddenly the raven haired girl looked out the window and right at her. Ranma could see a look of surprise on the other girl's face before her pout split into a brilliant smile.

Akane sat in her classroom, somewhat bored and wishing the day would just hurry up and be over with along with a couple more like it. She missed her red haired girlfriend terribly and wanted nothing more than to see and hold the smaller girl in her arms as their lips touched gently before becoming something far more passionate. She looked down at her desk and pouted, didn't Ranma realize that by leaving she was actually hurting her rather helping? That was when she felt a familiar presence somewhere nearby. She looked around the classroom until her senses told her it was actually coming from outside. Akane turned and looked out the window, certain that her girlfriend was standing out there looking in on her. Her eyes saw nothing, so she reached out with her other senses and sure enough, Ranma was there using her cloak of invisibility. Her pout immediately morphed into a brilliant smile.

The raven haired girl stared at her girlfriend and mouthed the words, "I love you."

"Akane Tendo", a voice to her right called and the girl in question snapped her head around.

"Yes Sensei?", Akane asked, guessing that she had been caught staring out the window and mouthing something.

"Pay attention. Daydream on your own time please", the teacher replied sternly before returning to her lecture while some of her classmates snickered or giggled softly.

"Yes ma'am", the raven haired girl replied before returning her attention back to where she had sense Ranma only to find nothing there. Akane sighed and wondered if she had imagined the whole thing or if her girlfriend really had been standing outside their classroom. Why was she here and not at the campsite? Why did she have to go at all?

* * *

><p>Ranma left the school grounds feeling a mixture of emotions ranging from depression to relief. On the one hand, Ukyo had been in the classroom so that meant it was safe to go talk to Konatsu. On the other, Akane had sensed her so that was bound to be an awkward conversation come Friday. The red haired girl pondered how her girlfriend had pierced her father's technique when hardly anyone else could.<p>

Akane didn't have the sharpest Ki sense by any means so how did she know? Maybe it was because of the bond they shared when their Kis intertwined that day at the Meiji Shrine. Perhaps the reason Akane could see through the cloak of invisibility was because she was just as much a part of Ranma as the red-head was part of her. Could the two of them really be soul mates and bonded in such a way that they would be able to sense if the other were in danger or where they were no matter how well they tried to hide?

Ranma's face broke out in a huge grin as she considered that and thought, '_That's perfect. We can play hide and seek this weekend. I'll cloak myself in the Umsen-ken and she can try to find me. Who says training can't be fun?_'

A few minutes later the Saotome heiress dropped her invisibility and jumped down to the street below her in front of Ukyo's restaurant. She walked up to the door and knocked. A few moments later the door opened partly revealing a rather feminine looking person in a kimono looking back at her.

"Ah, Ranma", Konatsu said happily as he opened the door and allowed the shorter girl to walk in. "Welcome to Ucchan's though I suspect it's not Ukyo you've come to see."

"Hello Konatsu, it's nice to see you again. You're right, I am here to see you. How have you been?", Ranma asked pleasantly.

"I have been well I suppose. I hope things are going well for you considering what happened on Saturday", the kunoichi replied sadly as he bowed his head slightly after closing the door so the two could talk in private.

"Konatsu", Ranma began as she sat down in one of the booths. The cross dressing ninja followed suit and sat across from his guest and raised an eyebrow inviting the smaller girl to continue. "Did you try to stop Ukyo from blowing up my wedding?"

"Yes", he said sadly as he shook his head slowly, "I begged her not to go through with it. I know you love Akane and that she loves you. I have tried to get her to see that but she refuses to believe that you could possibly love anyone but her. She told me about what happened yesterday in how you refused to talk to her up on the roof of the school."

"Did she tell you what happened after that?", Ranma asked as she rested her hands on the table.

"No", the kunoichi replied. "She said that she was going to win you from the uncute tomboy no matter what and started working on a new okinomiyaki that she was going to offer you. I'm afraid she's sunk to a new low in her desperation to win you."

"Oh?", Ranma asked as she raised an eyebrow and thought heatedly, '_Damn it Ukyo, I am not a prize to be won. Besides, Akane stole my heart a long time ago._'

Konatsu sighed and said, "She plans to feed you an okinomiyaki that will cause you fall in love with the first female you see, which of course, she will make sure is her. As if that's not bad enough, she plans to invite Akane along with you so that you or her aren't on your guard or suspicious. She plans to feed Akane a drugged okinomiyaki that will cause her to hate the first male she sees, which Ukyo is going to ensure is you in your male form."

"When did she start working on this?", Ranma asked, wondering if sending the chef into the wall had knocked a few screws loose or if this was just the next step in her desperation.

"Right after she came home from school", Konatsu replied. "If I may ask, what happened after you refused to talk to her?"

"She attacked Nabiki", the red haired girl replied and nodded her head when the man in front of her gasped in surprise. "After I caught and bent her spatula in half I knocked her into the school wall. I suspect she was unconscious for awhile but that was my last interaction with her."

"Damn", Konatsu said as he dropped his demure act for a second. "I'll see what I can do about sabotaging her special okinomiyakis so they don't mess up your relationship with Akane."

"Thanks", Ranma replied and then tapped her finger on her chin as she looked thoughtful for a few moments, "Say Konatsu, rather than sabotage them, do you think you could 'encourage' Ukyo to eat one of them?"

"Which one?", Konatsu said slyly, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Do you want her to hate a guy or fall in love with another woman?"

Ranma laughed quietly and said, "Well, there is too much hate in the world already and I wouldn't want her to hate you accidentally. Of course, having her become a stalking lesbian might be worse..."

"You know what though?", the kunoichi said smoothly and giggled as his eyes danced in mirth, "Maybe it'll teach her not to try to mess around with other people's feelings. What she did on Saturday was just inexcusable and she's deluding herself if she thinks you'll ever choose her."

"As far as I am concerned she's crossed the line", Ranma replied as she nodded sadly. "I doubt I would ever consider her my friend again but I would be honored if you were."

"You honor me Ranma, thank you", Konatsu replied as he reached across the table and grasped the red-head's hands in his own, one warrior to another.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, Ranma left Ucchan's and waved goodbye to her new friend and headed for the park. Just before she left, Konatsu called the Nekohanten and asked for a bowl of ramen to be delivered to the north side of Nerima Park when Mousse could deliver it. Cologne's eyebrows rose in curiosity when the girl on the other side of the line had asked for Mousse but saw no reason to disappoint the customer.<p>

_'Perhaps this girl likes him and he will finally give up on Shampoo_', Cologne thought to herself as she prepared a chicken ramen dish. "Mr. Part time!"

"Yes?", Mousse said as he walked into the kitchen carrying a broom and a dustpan.

"You have a delivery. Go to the north side of Nerima Park and look for a girl in a blue top and black pants. She will answer to the name Kaori."

Mousse nodded his head as he dropped off the cleaning supplies in the closet before taking the delivery box and heading for the park.

"Who Kaori?", Shampoo asked as she watched the blind Amazon walk out of the cafe.

"How should I know? She was a customer who called in and ordered ramen", Cologne said tiredly with a hint of steel in her voice.

Shampoo had been bugging her nearly endlessly for the last day and a half ever since the martial arts prodigy had knocked the bubbly Amazon into the canal. She shook her head in exasperation and just wanted to go home. She was tired of Japan and its peoples. There was no way the pigtailed wonder would ever choose her great granddaughter and she was getting really tired of enabling the fool girl's quest. Still, Shampoo was as stubborn as they come so while she would not aid her in any way, she wouldn't sabotage any efforts the lavender haired girl tried either. She just had to wait until her great granddaughter figured it out for herself and came to her senses.

"Maybe I go see?", Shampoo said hopefully.

"No child", Cologne said in annoyance, "Stay here and finish preparing the restaurant for the lunch rush. Why do you care who Kaori is anyway? Is it because you are jealous that someone asked for Mousse and not for you?"

"Stupid girl can have duck boy for all Shampoo care!", the Amazon yelled before stomping back towards the tables in order to clean them off.

Cologne chuckled and went back to work cooking more ramen for their future customers. Shampoo's jealousy was so obvious and her denials so pathetic there would be no way she would make a good leader of the council or find much happiness as a woman. Instead of using the years in Japan to grow both in maturity and become a woman of the world, her fool great granddaughter had squandered them in petty squabbles and chasing someone who clearly didn't like her at all. If it wasn't obvious before Jusendo, it definitely should have been afterwards in addition to the wedding the previous Saturday. Nope, her great granddaughter would never be a leader for their people. Good thing she didn't plan on kicking the bucket any time soon despite being over one hundred years old.

* * *

><p>Mousse wandered into the northern section of Nerima park and looked around for the mysterious girl. He put his glasses over his eyes but didn't see anyone matching the description of the girl that he was supposed to meet.<p>

"Damn crone", Mousse groused, "There is no girl here with a blue top and a pair of black pants. If she wanted me to leave the restaurant all she had to do was ask. I would have gladly left those two horrible slave drivers for the afternoon."

"Glad to hear it", a voice he vaguely recognized said from somewhere nearby.

"Kaori?", the Amazon asked hesitantly as he looked around but still couldn't see the mysterious speaker or the girl he sought.

"Hi Mousse", Ranma said pleasantly as she jumped down from the tree she was hiding within. "I'm Kaori and I believe you have the chicken ramen I ordered."

"Ranma?", Mousse asked in confusion, trying to figure out what the petite red-head was up to and whether he should attack her or not.

"Do you have to go back right away?", Ranma asked sweetly as she pulled out enough money for the ramen plus a decent tip. "I wanted to talk to you away from the old ghoul and Shampoo. I figured if I ordered something to eat we could sit down and share it while we talked for a bit."

"You want to talk to me?", the blind weapons master asked in surprise, wondering what sort of alternate dimension he had fallen into. Saotome was a girl, that in itself wasn't that unusual but the fact that the boy in question was being nice, offering to share a meal and wanted to talk to him was. Usually he just attacked the pigtailed martial artist for some real or imagined slight against Shampoo. That was it, since he didn't care about Shampoo any longer, what Ranma did or didn't do with her didn't matter to him in the least. Mousse thought back and tried to remember if the other boy had ever actually wanted Shampoo and the only instance that came to mind was that damned reversal jewel. Even then it was probably only because she wanted nothing to do with the other boy, just as the lavender haired Amazon never wanted anything to do with him.

Ranma nodded and grabbed Mousse's hand into her own and led him over towards a bench and sat down. Mousse followed on auto-pilot in confusion at his ex-rival's behavior. There was nothing masculine about this Ranma. If he had never met the martial artist and known better he would have said that the girl in front of him was in fact a real girl through and through. Her behavior wasn't over the top and cutesy, it was just like any normal girl's that might like him a little bit. He shook his head at that thought and reminded himself that the red-head in front of him was a guy. He pulled his hand out of hers and sat down on the bench.

"What did you want to talk to me about?", the black haired boy asked as he ate some of the ramen his companion offered to him.

"First of all, how are you doing Mousse?", Ranma asked, genuinely curious as to how his imagined rival for Shampoo was. "I also wanted to know if there was any way for you to help me get Shampoo and Cologne off my back for good. I've never had an interest in Shampoo and while I get it that you think she's perfect, she and I would never work and I'm tired of her."

"You and me both", Mousse replied softly and Ranma's head spun around as though she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. "No, you heard me right Ranma. I have no interest in Shampoo anymore. I may be mostly blind, but even I can see what a selfish bitch she is who only cares about how much she can use you before tossing you aside."

"Just like Nabiki. I pity the poor sap who winds up with her", Ranma giggled and Mousse laughed, something she couldn't ever recall hearing from the male Amazon unless it was forced maniacal laughter like when he had kidnapped Akane the first time.

"Back to your question though", Mousse said thoughtfully, "As far as I know the Kiss of Death on you has been dropped in favor of the Kiss of Marriage. I don't know how open you are to the idea of remaining a girl for the rest of your life...", he paused in order to gauge Ranma's reaction. His eyebrows rose when none came and continued, "but that ultimately wouldn't help you. See, while an Amazon woman might have a problem marrying another girl, the tribe as a whole does not. They become co-wives to a husband and that actually helps populate the tribe as now one man can impregnate two women at the same time. I can tell you this though, Cologne is getting really tired of Shampoo's foolishness so you may already have her off your back. I don't think she'll stop Shampoo from trying to get you but she won't help either."

"I see. Well that's something at least, thank you Mousse", Ranma replied happily.

"I should probably get going", Mousse said miserably as he stood up with the delivery case.

"Did I keep you too long?", the red haired girl asked, hoping nothing of their conversation would get back to the old ghoul or the soulless harpy that were his Amazon kin.

"No", the black haired boy replied, "I enjoyed our talk Ranma, thank you for freeing me from them for a little while. I might be able to slip away later if you want to talk some more."

"I'm leaving town today", Ranma replied and looked around hoping that no one was eavesdropping, "Please don't tell anyone that. I'd rather no one try to follow me."

"Are you leaving for good?", Mousse asked softly in concern. If Ranma were to run, Shampoo would likely get even more desperate than she already was and do something stupid. Not that she didn't deserve to be knocked down a few pegs. Ranma didn't want to deal with her anymore, not that he could blame him.

"No, but I still don't want to deal with anyone for awhile so I am leaving for a few days. If anyone asks, you don't know where I am and you never saw the pigtailed martial artist formerly known as Ranma", the red haired girl replied as she looked at the boy besides her pleading with her eyes.

"What do you mean by formally known? Are you changing your name to Kaori and abandoning your male half?", the male Amazon asked, puzzled at this turn of events as he scratched the bridge of his nose.

Ranma offered him a cute smile before grabbing her backpack, running out of the park and leaping on top of the nearest building only to disappear half a second later.

Mousse watched as the blue blur left him standing there in confusion and sighed. He had no intention of telling the old mummy or Shampoo about his encounter with the Saotome heiress but still the whole exchange bothered him slightly, especially the last part. If Ranma, Kaori, was going to remain a girl for the rest of his life, where did that leave Akane? Would the red haired martial artist really do that to the poor girl who had tried to marry him not even a week previous? He knew there was more to the story than he was being told and figured he would learn the truth soon enough. He wouldn't mention anything to Akane, just in case it was some sort of ruse.

'_I wonder if this is a test_', Mousse thought to himself as he walked back towards the Nekohanten. '_He asks me questions that I would normally report back to the old mummy or Shampoo. Then he drops this bomb about staying a girl forever thinking that if I told them about the first part that I would mention the second. He knows that won't get them off his back though because of the whole co-wife thing I mentioned. What is his plan? Perhaps the content doesn't matter and it's the simple act of whether I say anything or not. He's trying to figure out if he can trust me._'

Ranma laughed happily as she flew across the Nerima skyline leaping over roads from one roof to another as though she was skipping down a sidewalk. She headed north in order to leave the ward and reach the forest beyond. She didn't really want to trick Mousse but she had to know if she could trust him. What better way than to give him some tasty tidbits that he would either keep to himself and earn her trust or tell the old ghoul and Shampoo and betray her trust. Either way she would know the outcome in a few days or less if they came hunting for her.

'_Besides, it might not actually be a trick_', the red haired girl thought as she recalled her self reflections from the evening before while she was soaking in the public baths. '_Hello. My name is Ranko Saotome, it's a pleasure to meet you._'

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Ranma found the campsite she wanted to use for her isolation before Akane showed up sometime Friday for their training trip. She stood on top of a cliff and surveyed the area around her. There was a decent size clearing next to a freshwater pond that turned into a stream as it flowed away. Surrounding the clearing on three sides were all manner of trees with branches that were low enough to train the Tendo girl in the basics of tree hopping. Ranma frowned when she didn't see a hot spring anywhere as that really would have been nice after training and sparring.<p>

'_Oh well_', Ranma mused as a sly smile crossed her angelic face, '_I guess I'll just have to give her a full body massage to sooth her aching muscles after training. She can give me one too which will feel so so good..._'

The red haired girl giggled softly to herself as she imagined her girlfriend's strong but soft hands caressing over her body and she began to swoon. A few moments later she gained control of herself since falling off the cliff would totally ruin her plans. Ranma climbed down and made her way to the clearing where she began making preparations to set up camp. She pitched her tent and created a fire pit so that she would have means for cooking her dinner and keeping warm later. She moved her backpack into the tent and dug through it until she found her bathing suit. Questioning her sanity for a moment, Ranma changed into a one piece suit and walked out of her tent with a towel wrapped around her neck. The Saotome heiress walked over towards the freezing lake and frowned as she thought how cold the water probably was considering the time of year. She stepped into the water and nearly screamed as it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing her all at once.

"Oh Kami-sama that's freaking cold", the Saotome heiress growled as she stumbled out of the water and hobbled over towards the fire pit before cursing herself for not starting a fire. She sat down on one of the logs nearby and rubbed her foot in order to restore the warmth to it. "There is no way I will be able to teach Akane how to swim in that and I didn't see a hot spring anywhere nearby. I'll have to teach her using the public baths, but that means I'll have to lock myself as a girl for another week too. I wonder if the swimming pool at school is warm enough despite it being outside."

"Oh great", Ranma berated herself sarcastically, "How am I going to take a bath for the next few days when the water is that cold? Brilliant plan Ranma, let's go camping in the woods in the early part of February when it's 10°C (50°F) outside during the day and barely above freezing at night."

The red haired girl scowled at her own stupidity and stormed back into her tent in order to change out of her bathing suit and back into the clothes she had worn earlier. Her foot was feeling better and she decided she would have to go hunting while she could still see. There was no way she was going to try freshwater fishing this trip. Ranma grabbed a hunting knife from her backpack and stalked out into the forest, hoping to run into something edible.

Ranma engaged her cloak of invisibility and snuck around the forest floor when she spotted a couple of squirrels running amongst the tree branches. The red haired girl grimaced when she remembered how gamey they tasted. She didn't see much of an alternative though. The Saotome heiress felt her Ki well up inside of her, confident in her passion for Akane and unleashed an energy bolt at each of her targets. The Ki-bolts looked like miniature fireballs. They had a white core that was surrounded by a red corona. The two energy bolts lanced out from the palms of her hands and slammed into the tree branches, missing both squirrels and alerting them to the presence of a hunter.

The Saotome heiress frowned and tried again, this time attempting to split the energy four ways. She didn't need a lot of power and having more bolts flying around would help her land a hit. She focused on her passions again and summoned four bolts of energy. They lanced out on her outstretched hands and slammed into the tree branch with less force than before. One of the squirrels was caught in the blast and fell to the ground stunned. Ranma sighed and drew her knife in order to do what was necessary.

The red-head walked back towards her campsite with mixed emotions flashing across her face. She never liked to kill anything but the fact of the matter was she needed to be a hunter on this trip. Her rations would hardly be filling enough and it was too cold to fish. Ranma wondered if she would feel bad about killing fish to eat them and realized that she wouldn't. Why was a squirrel any different?

After starting a fire and skinning the squirrel's carcass, Ranma gathered up some water from the pond and set it up over the fire so that it would boil. Once the water in the pot was at the proper temperature she threw in a small bag of rice and the squirrel meat she could bring herself to actually try to eat, she sat back and waited for dinner to be ready. Ranma watched with a smile on her face as the sky turned pink when the sun sank in the horizon taking its warmth and light with it unfortunately.

'_I wonder what my tomboy is doing right now_', Ranma thought to herself as she continued to watch the sun disappear into the earth and the first star of the evening shimmered into view. '_I love you Akane._'

* * *

><p>It was Friday afternoon when Akane walked along the dusty road amongst farms just outside the Nerima ward as she headed for the campsite her girlfriend had said she would be. She resisted the urge to touch her hair and wondered when she would actually see the effects of the formula. There had been nothing in the directions about how long it should take for signs of it working but the raven haired girl suspected it would take longer than the eight hours or so since the first application. Her thoughts drifted back to the events earlier that day as she trudged along, just wanting to be in Ranma's arms again.<p>

_Her sister had woken her up at 6:00am in order to apply the first layer of the hair formula down at the kitchen table. She changed into some older clothes just in case Kasumi spilled some of it and sat at the table. It was fairly warm to the touch and the scalp massage her older sister had performed felt really good. Akane found herself lost in thought as she thought about her girlfriend and missed what her sister had said._

_"What?", Akane asked as her mind switched back to her older sister._

_"I said", Kasumi replied patiently, "I think you should go to school today after all. You've missed so much lately between your excursion to China and Monday's little field trip that I really don't think you should miss any more."_

_"I agree. I have been absent too much lately", Akane replied and then looked thoughtful, "When do you think we should we apply the next layer of formula?"_

_"How about you come home during lunch and we can do it then?", Kasumi asked as she washed off her hands and covered the pot before putting it in the refrigerator. "Auntie Saotome and I have a meeting with a police detective and our family lawyer this morning but we should be done before lunchtime."_

_"Okay", the raven haired girl said, "I'll come back for lunch and just stay here then."_

_"What about your classes after lunch?", the older girl asked, not really eager to see her sister skip any more school._

_"Well", Akane replied, "I was going to miss gym anyway on account of my hair and the other class I would miss is Home Ec. If we're making something today it would be nice if I didn't drip into whatever it is I am trying to bake. We all know how bad I am in the kitchen when I'm not dripping into things, there is no need to make it worse."_

_"You've been improving lately though", Kasumi said gently as she chuckled softly, "if those brownies you brought home Tuesday are any indication. I would have thought you would have made something else either Wednesday or yesterday though and don't recall seeing anything you might have brought home with you."_

_"We did", Akane said softly, "It didn't turn out particularly well so I threw it out before leaving the classroom."_

_"Oh my!", Kasumi replied as a hand flew to her mouth in traditional Kasumi style surprise. "What did you do?"_

_"I'm not sure exactly", the younger Tendo said quietly as she shrugged her shoulders, "It exploded in the oven."_

_"I see", the brown haired woman said, "Well, I would appreciate it if you didn't do that to ours. Next time you cook something I want to watch, maybe I can help you prevent another disaster like that."_

_Akane nodded slightly and smiled. She knew she was a walking disaster area in the kitchen and hoped that some day she would be able to cook. It would be nice if her family, and her girlfriend especially, would be willing to eat her food and not get sick. Somehow, Tuesday she had made a batch of brownies perfectly because she wasn't really thinking about what she was doing. Akane realized that if she followed the book and did exactly as it said things would turn out alright. She had followed the directions in her last attempt but somehow the dish had exploded and she didn't understand why._

_Kasumi sat down at the kitchen table and took her sister's hands into her own as she said gently, "Akane, what are your plans for this weekend? Are you going to stay around here or did you plan on going camping with Ranma right after lunch?"_

_The youngest Tendo sighed heavily and said with a trace of annoyance in her voice, "I take it you're asking because you want to come along in order to make sure we don't do anything improper?"_

_"There is that", Kasumi conceded gently and then said, "I would also like to know if you're going to be here this weekend because I am your sister and I love you."_

_"I love you too and yes, I was planning on heading to the campsite early this afternoon", Akane replied, some of her annoyance slipping away. "We had made plans to go on a training trip this weekend. I would like to do that since our dojo is still wrecked and there are things we can do out there that we can't do here."_

_"Oh my!", Kasumi frowned and shook her head slowly in disapproval. "I know you two have confessed your love for one another but you really shouldn't be doing anything like that until you are married."_

_"Kasumi!", Akane hissed quietly as she blushed crimson and glared at her older sister. "Not that. I meant training in tree hopping, sparring, Ki techniques, and things like that. We don't want to wreck the house or the dojo more than they already are." _

_"Oh", the eldest Tendo daughter said in relief as she blushed at her blunder. "Still though, I should come along and make sure."_

_"Are you going to forbid me to go if you don't come along?", Akane asked quietly, her irritation creeping back into her voice again. The raven haired girl really didn't want her sister to come along for many reasons. The youngest Tendo sighed and said, "Ranma and I really need to talk privately and get this whole thing straightened out. I would really rather you didn't come with me. You don't have to worry about us doing anything improper."_

_"Heat of the moment Akane", Kasumi said gently. "There are a lot of couples out there with kids that didn't think they would cross the line and now it's too late. I don't want that to happen to the two of you since you're not married and are still in school."_

_"So that's it then", Akane said in an aggravated tone of voice. "Either we both go or neither of us go huh?"_

_"I wish you wouldn't think of it that way", Kasumi sighed heavily as she squeezed the other girl's hands. "I'm just trying to protect you two from doing something I don't think you are remotely ready for and will ultimately regret in a moment of passion."_

_"Why are you so worried about that?", the raven haired girl hissed softly. "He betrayed me. I probably would have punted him to the moon if he had stayed around here the last few days. I'm ready to hear his explanations now and I want him to train me like he promised. Seriously Kasumi, you don't have to worry about us getting all touchy feely with one another and having sex. We may have confessed to one another lately but that doesn't mean we are a couple. In light of the whole P-chan fiasco he will have to work hard in order to earn my trust again and it may be awhile, if ever, before we're a couple."_

_"I see", Kasumi said sadly as she looked away from her little sister, stood up and walked over towards the sink. She sighed as she stared out the window and said, "Very well Akane. You can leave for the campsite whenever you want and I won't stop you. I just ask that you be careful and remember what I've said. If you come back pregnant you're on your own."_

_Akane gasped in shock at her sister's words but saw the reasoning behind them. It wasn't like it would matter as she planned to spend the weekend with her girlfriend who was even less ready for physical displays of affection than she was. If Ranma was in her male form for part of the weekend it wouldn't really matter either. It seemed likely he was even less comfortable doing too much physically than he was as a girl. Kasumi really didn't have anything to worry about but she appreciated the concern just the same._

_"I understand Kasumi", Akane replied softly as she stood up and left the room. _

_The raven haired girl returned to her room and closed the door gently before looking for her backpack in the closet. She needed to make sure it was properly packed so that she could leave after lunch. She packed a few days worth of clothing and her bathing suit, though she doubted she would need it because of the time of year. She made sure to pack a thick blanket and hoped it would be enough to stave off the evening chill. _

_There was a polite knock at her door and Kasumi walked in. She looked at her sister sadly and said, "I'm sorry for what I said downstairs Akane. It's just that I worry about you and Ranma, not just your physical well being but your relationship and everything. You've been through so much together and I had hoped that you two would be a couple by now. I think you'll be responsible enough and I don't really have to worry about you doing something you shouldn't. When I was in high school, not that long ago, I saw many friends and couples go through or break up because of everything I warned you about and I really don't want to see that happen to you two."_

_"Thank you for your concern Kasumi", Akane said as she hugged her sister tenderly in an effort not to crush her. _

_"When do you think you'll go?", the older Tendo asked as she rubbed her sister's back._

_"I'll come home around lunchtime so you can do my hair again and then I'll head for the campsite. I don't want to have to try to find the place while it's dark and I'm not sure exactly how long it'll take me to get there. I hope I don't sweat too much and ruin my hair."_

_Kasumi looked at her sister's hair and smiled as she said, "I think you'll be fine. It looks like it's mostly dry already. I don't think you should train but if you want to take a light walk I think it would be alright. If your head is too wet from perspiring the formula could run and the results would be disastrous. I'll apply another coat before you head to school if you want."_

_"Okay, thanks Kasumi", Akane replied and before she resumed packing for her weekend holiday. She looked over towards her desk and considered bringing some homework along with her, after all they weren't going to be training constantly were they? No, but when they weren't training there were far more enjoyable things they could be doing with one another besides homework, such as sleeping and making out..._

* * *

><p>Akane looked around and smiled, in her musings she had left the farmland and was deep in the forest. She pulled out the letter and re-read the directions just to make sure she was going the right way. The last thing she needed was to wonder about the woods like a certain lost boy. After getting her bearings, she began walking in a northwesterly direction towards the mountains. As she walked along, her thoughts turned inward as and a small sarcastic smile appeared on her lips when she recalled what had happened at school that morning.<p>

_The youngest Tendo walked to school wondering what sort of day she would have considering how she had left the quivering mass of boys the day before. They had been pestering her all day begging her to go with them to the Valentine's Day Dance despite still being very much engaged to Ranma. She suspected one of the reasons the principal had decided to host the event was because of the chaos that would happen because of it. Pineapple head knew about the excessive amount of attention she garnered from his own son let alone the rest of the male student body. What better way to cause some chaos than to make her the focal point, which of course would attract Ranma and the rest of the delinquents. _

_When she walked up to the gates, Akane wasn't surprised one bit to see a hoard of boys waiting for her. What surprised her was that they were all on their hands and knees and kept their eyes lowered as she stepped around them on her way into the building. They didn't so much as raise their heads until she was inside. _

_"Yuka, Sayuri", Akane called as she walked into their classroom. "What's going on with the Furinkan pervert convention today?"_

_"They are deathly afraid of you Akane", Sayuri said quietly as she stepped up next to her friend. "I think they decided you were serious at lunch yesterday when you said that you would kill them if they didn't leave you alone. They are trying to apologize by kowtowing and leaving you alone I suppose. Yuka and I weren't the only ones who were really scared when you conjured that sword out of thin air and exuded fire like some sort of demon."_

_"Damn", Akane said softly as she looked down at the floor. "I don't want them to be afraid of me, not really. I just wanted them to leave me alone."_

_"I think you'll be okay eventually", Yuka replied quietly. "They'll avoid you for awhile but if you are your normal friendly self I think they'll eventually stop fearing you..."_

_"I don't know", Sayuri interjected mischievously as she winked, "I'm not so sure she really wants them to stop fearing her necessarily."_

_"Okay", Yuka conceded, "Perhaps in time you and the boys can co-exist without annoying one another too much."_

_"I hope you're right", Akane replied gloomily. It was never her intention to be feared by everyone, she just didn't want to be harassed constantly. She was generally a very friendly and easygoing person until that stupid challenge Kuno had issued at the beginning of her sophomore year. Of course, it was around that time when her shape-changing fiancé crashed into her life turning it upside down and inside out at the same time. _

_After that her morning classes had gone by fairly smoothly. People left her alone so that she could pay attention and hear what she had come there to learn. It felt like it took forever for lunchtime to arrive though as the minutes crawled by. She desperately wanted to leave and reunite with her girlfriend at the campsite._

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, Akane came upon a cliff as she walked heading for her fiancé's campsite. She stood near the edge and surveyed the surrounding area trying to figure out where to go. Her eyes drifted down towards the forest floor and she noticed a clearing bordering a small pond in the mass of trees she had been walking through for hours. There was a tent big enough for two people pitched between the trees and the pond that looked rather old and worn. There was a small fire burning within a circle of stones far enough away from the trees so that the wind wouldn't carry the embers and start a forest fire.<p>

'_This should be the place_', Akane mused to herself as she continued to look around, '_I don't see Ranma anywhere though. I wonder where she is._'

The youngest Tendo carefully made her way down the cliff and cautiously entered the camp as she was not absolutely certain she had found the right site. For all she knew even if it was the correct one, maybe someone else was already here when Ranma arrived and had to go elsewhere. Akane really hoped that wasn't the case as she would have no idea where to look. She would have to go home and hope that Ranma returned sometime over the weekend. Suffice it to say their training trip and romantic getaway would be ruined.

"Hello?", Akane called out tentatively as she stood just outside the clearing and looked around searching the area with her eyes, ears and Ki senses. The raven haired girl really hoped Ranma wasn't trying to pull another invisibility trick and planning on trying to scare her. She might have a heart attack and would have to chase her fiancé around before pounding the jerk if he, or she, did that. After a few moments and finding no one with her senses, the youngest Tendo sighed and walked into the clearing and called out her greeting again. Her eyes and nose caught sight and smell of something cooking over the fire that she hadn't noticed earlier. Whoever was camping there had put some fish on to cook fairly recently. Akane looked around again and began to feel annoyed with whoever was camping there that they hadn't shown themselves yet.

Meanwhile, Ranma was inside her tent rummaging through her backpack looking for a packet of rice to go along with the fish she had managed to catch while swimming. She felt someone approaching and decided to investigate. Engaging the _Umisen-ken_, she abandoned the search for the rice and walked out of the tent before leaping into a tree where she could see who her intruder was. The red haired girl smiled brilliantly as she looked towards the South and watched as Akane walked up to the edge of the clearing. She was incredibly happy to see her girlfriend again but maintained her composure and crouched on the tree branch as she watched the other girl even as she called out her greeting.

Akane dropped off her pack next to the tent and walked over towards the fire pit to see how well done the fish were. She turned them over so the other side would cook and looked around, certainly whoever it was had to be somewhere nearby or else their fish would get burned.

"Hello?", the raven haired girl asked to the air around her again. "Your fish are going to get burned if you don't come out here soon."

"Aiyah!", Ranma shouted just before she dropped her cloak of invisibility and leapt at her girlfriend with a flying jump kick.

Akane startled at the sound and felt her danger sense go off. She instinctively dodged to the side not sure who or what was coming at her. She looked around and found her smirking red haired girlfriend clad in a green bathing suit standing right where she had been a second before.

"That's a hell of a way to greet your girlfriend!", Akane said heatedly as she clutched at her heart and glared at the red-head who was giggling softly.

Ranma shrugged and said teasingly, "I figured you being a martial artist and all that you would appreciate it. Thanks for turning the fish over by the way."

Akane felt all of her anger vanish as she walked up to embrace the other girl and said, "I've missed you so much these past couple of days Ranma. Why did you feel it necessary to scare me half to death though?"

"I've missed you too", Ranma replied as she melted into the taller girl's embrace and rubbed her back. "To answer your question though, I wanted to see if you could detect me through the _Umisen-ken_ like you did on Wednesday. Since I surprised you I guess I wasn't close enough or you weren't really concentrating on trying to find me, I don't know."

Akane nodded her head and the two girls held onto one another for a few moments before they both leaned back at the same time so they could look into one another's eyes. Ranma smiled as she leaned forward and Akane closed her eyes as their lips met in a gentle kiss. It didn't take long for them to press against one another and for their chaste kiss to turn into something far more passionate.

After they kissed for a few minutes, Ranma pulled away and walked over to the fire pit and removed the spits to keep the fish from burning. She looked back at her girlfriend and noticed the front of the other's girl's shirt was all wet and said, "Are you hungry? I have some rice I was going to cook up to go with the fish if you want anything. Sorry for getting your shirt all wet, I hadn't been out of the water that long when I sensed you walking up."

The youngest Tendo looked down at her now see through shirt and shrugged as she said, "It's okay Ranma, I brought plenty of extra clothes and yes, I'm hungry too, thank you."

Ranma walked back into the tent and rummaged through her pack again for the rice while Akane grabbed her backpack and brought it in and set it down. The youngest Tendo started looking through it for a dry change of clothes as everything she was wearing was at least somewhat wet. The red haired girl saw the clothes in her girlfriend's hands and slipped out of the tent in order to give her some privacy. Akane quickly changed into a dark blue long sleeved top with white trim and a pair of black pants. Once dressed, she stepped outside the tent and hung her wet clothing on a makeshift clothesline.

* * *

><p>A little while later, after Ranma had changed into one of her favorite red Chinese shirts and black pants, the two girls sat down side by side on a large log that proved to be a suitable bench. They idly talked about little things while they slowly ate dinner. The bigger stuff, they decided, could wait until they cuddled together in front of the fire as part of their romantic getaway. After dinner was finished and they had put away the dishes, they sat on the ground next to one another with their back against the log and interlaced their fingers. They sat in silence as they watched the sun slip lower in the horizon and turn the sky pink.<p>

"Ranma", Akane said softly as she looked over at her female companion, "Are you locked in your female form from using the water-proof soap?"

"No, at least I shouldn't be anymore", the red-head replied. "I only used it one time Tuesday night while I was at the public baths. I wanted to be able to enjoy a nice long soak in some hot water but I was a girl when I left your house so I couldn't use the men's side."

"When do you think you'll change back?", the youngest Tendo asked, not really sure what she hoped the answer to be. She thought back over the previous week and realized that given the time they had spent with one another, Ranma had been a girl for more than half of it. Considering her problems with males her age in general, and recent experiences in particular, that was probably a good thing.

"That depends on you", Ranma replied softly as she looked into her fiancée's warm chocolate eyes. "I've come to the conclusion that you are more comfortable with me this way, especially in light of what's happened lately. I've decided that I will remain a girl for as long as you want or need me to, even forever if that's what you really want."

"You would do that for me?", Akane gasped and looked at her companion in shock as she gazed into the girl's sparkling blue eyes. She found only sincerity, warmth, friendship, and love radiating from the smaller girl and smiled as she felt her heart melt at the sacrifice her girlfriend was willing to make for her.

"I would", the Saotome heiress replied warmly and without hesitation. "I love you more than anything else in the world Akane. If me being a girl makes you happier, then I will be a girl."

"Oh Ranma", Akane gushed in happiness and leaned forward in order to take the smaller girl in her arms and hugged her fiercely. She smiled and said softly, "You don't have to do that. I appreciate that you are willing and feel comfortable enough to remain female for me, but really I need to become more comfortable with your male half too. You shouldn't have to give up who you are just because I'm having a few issues with males at the moment. You aren't like those perverts at school or that Ryoga bastard. I love you for who you are."

"Thanks Akane, that means a lot to me", Ranma replied as she leaned back and the two girls kissed one another softly for a few moments.

* * *

><p>The two girls sat around the fire and continued to talk about the various things they had experienced over the past couple of days. Akane found she didn't have to try very hard at all to convince Ranma to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with her. When asked why, Ranma merely said that she had been far to single minded in the past and wanted to try new things with the woman she loved. Akane blushed and the two of them began talking about other non-martial arts things they could do together that wouldn't necessary let the world know that they were a couple.<p>

"Akane", Ranma said as she stared into the fire in front of her, "Who knows we're a couple?"

"As of Monday or now?", Akane asked as she scooted up against her girlfriend and wrapped a hand around the other girl's waist.

"Um, what do you mean?", the red haired girl asked in confusion as her hand reciprocated the other girl's actions.

"Well", the raven haired girl replied, "Kasumi, Nabiki, Yuka and Sayuri know that we confessed to one another on Monday. It's only logical to assume they thought we were a couple. Then on Wednesday morning when it was obvious you were gone, I started acting like I didn't care about you or where you were. Kasumi acted surprised though I suspect she really wasn't. She told me later that she had read your letter. I don't know about Nabiki. Your mother was quiet and contemplative while our fathers cried that the schools would never be joined, big surprise there."

Ranma giggled softly, "Yeah."

"As for who knows we're a couple now", Akane paused as she thought back to her conversations with her friends and family the last few days, "I don't think Nabiki knows but I could be wrong knowing her. I'm fairly confident Kasumi believes we are still a couple despite my act to the contrary in light of some of the things she said to me this morning. I told Yuka and Sayuri the real reasons you left and they wanted to pulverize you. I diffused the situation by telling them about my own contributions to the problem and that I have forgiven you. They might beat up on pig boy but I convinced them to leave you alone. In fact, starting Monday I would really like it if you started eating lunch with the three of us."

"They'll be alright with that?", Ranma asked as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

The raven haired girl nodded and gently caressed the red-head's face with her hand as she said, "I want my best friends and my girlfriend to get along with one another. Once you all get to know one another I think you'll get along really well. Despite how long ago you met them, you didn't really meet them. I certainly didn't help matters by complaining about you all the time but then, you gave me plenty of reasons then to do so."

"I'll try to give you fewer reasons to complain about me", the red haired girl said with an impish grin as she leaned forward in order to gently kiss the tomboy on her soft and delicious lips. The two girls teased one another with delicate kisses for a few moments as they scooted closer to one another so they wouldn't have to lean forward as much.

Akane smirked and said teasingly, "You bet your sweet ass you will or else I just might have to spank you. You naughty naughty girl you."

The youngest Tendo giggled softly when Ranma blushed crimson and tried to look away. Akane grinned impishly and put her hand gently on her girlfriend's face and turned it back so that the two of them were looking at one another again. She gently caressed the red-head's soft angelic face for a few moments before standing up and holding out her hand to help the smaller girl stand up.

Ranma looked at the other girl with a confused expression on her face and asked, "Akane?"

"Let's go to bed Ranma", Akane said with a smile on her lips. "We have a long day of training ahead of us tomorrow right?"

"Are you tired? It seems a little early to go to sleep", the red-head replied as she stayed seated.

"Who said anything about going to sleep?", the raven haired girl asked mischievously and smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. Understanding dawned on the red-head's face and she allowed Akane to help her stand up.

The two girls walked over to the tent and stepped inside. They rolled out their sleeping bags side by side and formed a larger "bed". Before Ranma could stand or do anything, Akane tackled the smaller girl and straddled her waist with a huge grin on her face. Ranma eyes widened as she looked up into her girlfriend's beautiful face only to find the distance between them rapidly shrinking as Akane leaned over and kissed her on her neck.

Ranma moaned softly at the soft contact and tilted her head in such a way so that more of her slender neck was exposed which Akane gladly took advantage of. The raven haired girl started just below her girlfriend's left ear and gently held the kiss for a few seconds before moving down towards her collarbone. She repeated the process several times which elicited quite a few soft moans form the smaller girl.

Both of the girls could feel their inner cores begin to warm up, Ranma more than her girlfriend for the time being. As Akane gently kissed up and down her fiancé's neck, their breasts rubbed against once another which they both enjoyed despite the two shirts and bras in the way. It was too cold at night to even think about stripping off clothing and they were further from the fire than they had been earlier. Still, they were not particularly cold as their inner passions were coming to life and providing them with the warmth they needed. Ranma wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's back and moving her hands in order to massage the other girl.

"Ranma", Akane said softly as she looked into the other girl's eyes, "While you were at the public baths on Tuesday, you didn't look at the other girls did you?"

"Of course not", Ranma replied as she sighed heavily. "Contrary to popular belief, I am not the pervert you've made me out to be since we met. Despite having numerous opportunities to ogle other girls without retribution, I have tried not to abuse my curse like that."

"I'm sorry Ranma", Akane replied sincerely as she softly caressed the girl's cheeks with her fingers. "You're right, you aren't a pervert and I should never have called you one."

Ranma smirked as she gently stroked her girlfriend's hair and said teasingly, "If either one of us is a pervert, I'm afraid I am going to have to insist that it's you."

"What?", Akane asked incredulously. "How do you figure that I'm the pervert?"

"You're a girl making out with another girl", Ranma replied flatly. "If that isn't perverted then I don't know what is."

"Would you rather I stopped?", the raven haired girl asked, steel evident in her voice as she narrowed her eyes at the girl underneath her.

"No", the red haired girl replied softly as she looked up into her fiancée's chocolate eyes and noticed a mischievous glint in them.

"Good", Akane replied as she licked her lips and a predatory smile slowly appeared on her face. She lowered herself back on top of her girlfriend's body and captured the other girl's soft lips in a passionate kiss as she said seductively, "Because I don't want to either."

"Pervert", Ranma said teasingly in between kisses. "You're my pervert though."

"Just as you're my baka", Akane replied in her own teasing voice in between kisses.

"Tomboy", the red haired girl countered as her blue eyes danced and her hands wandered around her girlfriend's back.

Rather than say another pet name or mock insult, Akane silenced her girlfriend by slipping her tongue into the other girl's mouth which effectively cut off any further conversation. Ranma reciprocated and the two of them continued to kiss one anther passionately as if they were going to be torn apart from one another at any second. They sucked in each other's air and deepened their kisses as they attempted to beat one another in who could kiss who better and thus, Martial Arts Kissing was born.

After awhile, both girls were feeling tired and they separated from one another. Akane yawned loudly as she stretched which caused her shirt to ride up some exposing her midriff. Ranma looked at her girlfriend's perfectly toned stomach and smiled before yawning herself.

"I guess we really wore ourselves out", Ranma replied as she stretched and then laid back down on her bedroll they had been making out on the whole time.

Akane nodded as she grabbed her sleeping bag and unrolled it next to the red-head. She laid down on her side facing her fiancée and said, "I love you Ranma, sweet dreams."

"G'night my love, sleep well", the red haired girl replied as she closed her eyes. She felt a little pressure on her lips and opened her eyes only to see her girlfriend kissing her again. She smiled and returned the kiss before closing her eyes again.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours after the girls had fallen asleep, the fire that Ranma had created was dying, barely more than a handful of embers. Suddenly it flared to life almost as big as a person and changed from the orange hue of a normal fire to that of a pale blue core with a dark blue corona. A woman that appeared in her mid thirties walked out of the fire and looked around, wondering why she had arrived in the middle of the woods. Her brown eyes shimmered briefly as they drifted over towards the tent and she recalled her past life. The woman smiled and played with her short dark blue hair as she walked over towards the tent and unzipped the flap and peaked inside. The blue haired matronly female smiled at the sight of the two girls sleeping besides one another.<p>

Ranma lay on her back looking incredibly peaceful inside her sleeping bag. Akane had apparently abandoned hers and had decided to join her girlfriend sometime during the night. She was pressed up against the red-head's body as her head rested comfortably on Ranma's soft chest. Her left hand cupped her girlfriend's right breast while her left leg snaked across the other girl's womanhood and waist.

The blue haired woman knelt down next to the pair of sleeping girls and kissed Akane on the forehead. She ran her fingers through the girl's raven colored hair and whispered, "Sleep well my daughter. Please take care of yourself and your girlfriend no matter what happens down the road. You two have been through so much together even before you were bonded. Don't let anything tear you apart now. I love you Akane, my sweet baby child."

The Tendo Matriarch kissed the red haired girl on the forehead and whispered, "Ranma, sleep well my future son/daughter-in-law. Take care of yourself and your girlfriend despite what happens to you in the future. You two will soon face a trial no young person should ever have to face but I have faith that you will persevere as you have through everything else so far. Keep my daughter safe and I am looking forward to the day you two get married."

Akane moaned in her sleep and asked hesitantly, "Mother?"

"Sleep, my dear sweet child", Kumiko replied gently as she kissed her daughter on the forehead once more before standing up and walking outside the tent. She looked back at the sleeping girls and sighed wistfully. Her precious Akane was so much like she was when she was a teenager. The blue haired woman sat down on the log next to the dying fire and smiled. She replayed her memories of her youngest daughter as the hours before dawn counted down and a new day would begin filled with unlimited possibilities.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>_

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_I apologize for the delay on this chapter. My computer decided to die a couple weeks back and I lost everything I had written for this chapter and the next. I also lost some extra scenes I had written but hadn't used yet or wound up rejecting._


	8. Akane and Ranma, Sitting in a Tree

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us.

Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Seven

_Akane and Ranma, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G _

.

.

Ranma moaned softly as a vague awareness began to percolate through her sleep-filled mind. The Saturday morning sun peaked over the hills to the north and east. Without opening her eyes, she knew something was definitely different. She felt weight across her body that shouldn't have been there as well as a lighter weight grasping something very dear to her. The red haired girl opened her eyes and sure enough, Akane had abandoned her own sleeping bag in order to share with her. The raven haired girl was pressed up against her with one leg draped across her womanhood while the girl's left hand was cupping her breast. It didn't feel bad or anything but Ranma wasn't sure how she felt about being groped in her sleep even if the groper was her girlfriend. The Saotome heiress gently lifted the other girl's hand from her body and disentangled herself before slipping out of the sleeping bag and walking out of the tent.

The youngest Saotome tried to push the thoughts of her grabby girlfriend out of her mind as she started loosening up her muscles in the cold morning air. For all she knew Akane had not consciously groped her and had only been acting out a dream or something. Of course that didn't explain why the raven haired girl had abandoned her sleeping bag to cuddle with her in the first place, not that Ranma minded that particularly. She felt safe in Akane's arms and in the colder night air, having a warm body nearby was definitely preferable to how she spent Wednesday and Thursday night alone.

After stretching for about ten minutes, Ranma began running through some of her warm-up katas since her muscles still felt sluggish and she didn't want to injure herself. She knew them so well she didn't even need to think about what came next and began thinking about breakfast and what supplies they had remaining.

'_That water looks even colder than it did yesterday afternoon_', Ranma thought to herself as she looked out over the pond to her left. Her face took on an evil smirk but then she shook her head. She wasn't Genma and while the shock might do her girlfriend some good, it just seemed a little too mean to dump a pot of ice water on the sleeping girl. She knew they would need to get started soon though if they were truly going to take advantage of the day and a half that they had available to them before heading back to Nerima.

'_Well, I am the hostess of this little trip_', the red head thought grimly as she once again looked at the pond and frowned, '_It's up to me to provide breakfast for us both. I hope you appreciate this Akane._'

Ranma walked into the tent and noticed her girlfriend was laying down in the same position she had left her a half hour or so ago. She knelt down by the other girl's shoulders and gently shook them as she said, "Rise and shine Akane."

"Go 'way", Akane mumbled as she swatted at her fiancé's hand and flipped herself over and looked away from the other girl.

"We're burning daylight", the red-head replied as she shook her girlfriend harder, "We have a full day of training to do and less than a full day in which to do it in."

"Let me sleep baka", the raven haired girl replied tiredly as she turned her body to face away from the other girl.

"If you want to waste this opportunity to train that's on you", Ranma replied sternly. "Don't you dare try to blame me for your lack of progress if you're too stubborn to get up. If you aren't up in one minute I will splash you with some nice cold water from the pond. It should help wake you up anyway."

"You wouldn't dare", Akane growled as she curled herself up in a ball in an effort to keep herself warmer since Ranma had opened up her sleeping bag.

"You've been begging me for how long to train you? Now that we're finally here you want to sleep instead. Are you a martial artist or aren't you?", the Saotome heiress said harshly as she crossed her arms over chest and tapped her foot in annoyance. "Forty seconds Akane. You're getting up one way or another, it's just a matter of whether you're wet or dry."

Ranma walked out of the tent and grabbed a pot before heading down to the lake. She hated doing this but she wasn't going to beg her girlfriend to train her. Akane was the one that wanted to improve and as such needed to show that she had the initiative and ambition to be better than she was. Sometimes tough love was necessary and a good thing if it helped someone she cared about grow and improve.

The red head scooped up some freezing water and shouted back, "Fifteen seconds Akane!"

Akane scowled and shook her head underneath the blanket. The girl had to be bluffing, there was no way she would do that to her.

"Ten..."

Right?

"Nine..."

No way...

"Eight..."

She heard footsteps coming closer and could sense the other girl's ill intent.

"Seven..."

Akane growled in annoyance and started throwing back her covers but got briefly tangled up in them.

"Six... Five..."

The raven haired girl looked up and saw her girlfriend holding a pot in her hands, more than ready to hurl its contents all over her.

"Four..."

"If you throw that pot of water on me I'll never forgive you!", Akane shouted as she attempted to scramble to her feet.

"Three... Two... One..."

"Fine!", the raven haired girl yelled as she stood up and came nose to nose with the other girl while glaring at her. "I'm up. Are you happy now?"

"Yes I am", Ranma replied cheerfully before hardening her voice again as she glared at her girlfriend. "Now, change into something you don't mind working out in. When you are done with that, go outside and loosen up your muscles so you don't hurt yourself while I get breakfast ready. Your training will begin shortly after we eat and I expect you to follow my instructions without question. You don't have to get it correct right away and I certainly won't demand perfection, however I do expect you to try your best. If you give me some half-assed attempt or argue with me I will not train you again. Do I make myself clear?"

The youngest Tendo stared at the girl in front of her unable to believe what the red-head had just said. She felt her anger boil within her and stepped back so that she could plow through the smaller girl with a single punch. She was vaguely aware she was breaking a promise to never again hit her fiancé in anger and to talk things out first.

Ranma crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes as she regarded the girl in front of her coldly. In a tone completely devoid of warmth, love and friendship she said icily, "You have a very important choice to make right now Akane. You can either realize that all I am trying to do is help you like you wanted and improve your martial arts, or you can throw that punch and remain at the same pathetic level you are at now forever. I suggest you consider very carefully the consequences of your actions and think about what you really want to do."

Akane felt her anger evaporate in a flash as she fell to her knees, Ranma's frosty words cutting through her clouded mind like a knife straight to her heart. She looked at the ground in shame and tried to hide the fact that her brown eyes were shimmering as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. The raven haired girl's mouth quivered slightly. In a voice barely above a whisper she said brokenly, "I'm sorry Ranma."

The red-haired girl continued to look at the girl in front of her in contempt and growled, "I'm only trying to help you Akane. If you don't want to train that's fine, but you're going to have to accept the level you're at and be happy with that. I'm not going to beg you to do something that you said you wanted. You need to show some initiative and demonstrate to me that you really want to improve. If we don't do something today don't even bother ever asking me to train you again. Make your choice, either get dressed and come out so you can warm up and not hurt yourself or do whatever it is you want to do. I don't want to hear you whine and complain about the consequences if you choose to waste this opportunity. Understood?"

The raven haired girl shivered and looked up at the other girl as tears rolled down her cheeks, each word from her fiancé's mouth devoid of warmth and stinging worse than anything she had ever said to her in the past. She nodded her head meekly. Akane knew the red-head was right but she was still stunned at the harshness of the dressing down the other girl was laying into her. She wondered briefly if the girl towering over her was still in fact her sweet and soft spoken girlfriend she loved so much or if she was an imposter. Akane looked up into Ranma's stormy blue eyes and said softly, "Yes Sensei. I will try my best and follow your instructions as well as I can. Please help me, I want to be a better martial artist than I currently am."

"Good", Ranma replied sternly. A few moments passed before she took a deep breath, dropped her Soul of Ice and knelt down as she took her girlfriend's hands into her own. Akane looked up in surprise at the gentle touch and noticed that her fiancé's warm and soft demeanor had returned. She was about to comment when Ranma spoke in a friendly and loving tone as she said gently, "I'm sorry I was so harsh Akane, but I felt it needed to be said. I do want to help but you need to want it too and we really shouldn't waste this opportunity. Go ahead and get dressed into something comfortable and be sure to loosen up your muscles really well. It's cold outside and I really don't want to see you to get hurt."

Akane nodded mutely and rummaged through her backpack for a loose fitting pair of black sweat pants and a long sleeved blue top while Ranma searched through her bag for some rice packets and other ingredients suitable for breakfast. The red-head walked out of the tent in order to give the other girl some privacy and set the food items near the fire. When Akane came out of the tent and began to warm up, Ranma went inside and changed into a green one piece bathing suit, questioning her sanity for a few moments.

"Ranma, are you crazy?", Akane asked in alarm when she noticed her girlfriend's attire as the red-head walked towards the pond carrying a small hand-held net.

"Probably", the Saotome heiress replied sheepishly as she shrugged her shoulders. "The water will be cold but I want some fish for breakfast. I'm the hostess of this little excursion and it's my job to provide you with a meal. As long as I'm not in the water for very long I should be fine and the fire will help warm me up."

"Don't go in there, please", the youngest Tendo pleaded as she ran up and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's abdomen from behind. "I don't want you to get sick or come down with hypothermia just so we can have fish for breakfast. It's not worth it."

Ranma turned around in her girlfriend's arms and kissed her softly on the lips for a few moments before saying, "Thank you for your concern but I'll be fine I promise. Besides, if I'm sluggish from the cold maybe you'll get a hit on me when we spar later", the red haired girl quipped as she grinned impishly.

Akane frowned and shook her head, "I think you'd need to be an ice cube for me to have a chance at that."

"Ah come on", Ranma replied as she turned and walked towards the pond again, "What's with the defeatist attitude? You aren't that slow. Where's the Akane I fell in love with, the one with the fiery spirit that refuses to give up and is always eager to prove herself?"

'_She's right_', the youngest Tendo thought to herself as she watched her girlfriend shiver when she walked into the pond. '_Where has my passion for the Art disappeared to? __I've become too complacent. I was ready to sleep in this morning instead of training like we had planned earlier in the week. She asked me if I was a martial artist and it took threatening to drench me with freezing water to get me out of bed._'

Akane turned and started working on her katas paying careful attention to her strikes and movements. She felt her inner fire and passion surge within her heart and take hold of her. The raven haired girl flew into a quick flurry of attacks against an imaginary opponent and thought passionately, '_I will make you proud of me Ranma, just you wait and see. I want to be your equal, or at least as close to you that I can possibly be._'

Ranma watched the other girl from the middle of the pond as she treaded water for a few moments and smiled. It was nice to see her fiancée all riled up and passionate about martial arts again. Lately it seemed as though she was losing interest just as she was. She realized she hadn't sparred with her father in quite some time and decided to change that come Monday morning. It was time to restore the "old" Saotome tradition of dunking the panda into the pond.

'_I would like to get Pops to spar with Akane as well when she's caught up_', Ranma thought to herself as she swam around hunting for breakfast meat. '_It would be good for her to have to deal with someone three times her size who is also incredibly fast and won't hold back as much as I will. Plus, Pops is likely to delight in hurting her so that'll give her even more incentive to defend herself against him. She knows I won't go all out on her but I can't just dodge her either. This is going to be hard on me but she needs to be able to take hits. In the end she'll get hurt in a real fight too easily if I don't toughen her up now. I hope she doesn't whine and complain too much, it'll hurt now but it'll help her in the long run and that's what's important._'

* * *

><p>A little while later, Akane and Ranma were sitting around the fire eating breakfast in silence. When Ranma had emerged from the pond, Akane immediately stopped her kata and ran over to her girlfriend with a towel she had been warming up near the fire. The red-head stuttered her thanks through chattering teeth and dried herself off quickly. Once her body temperature returned somewhat to normal and the fish were cooking, Ranma ducked inside the tent and changed into a white Chinese sleeveless tunic and a pair of drawstring black pants. Instead of panties, she put on a pair of boxers and neglected a bra entirely.<p>

"Akane", Ranma said slowly after chewing some of her cold water spoils, "I want to see where you currently stand after breakfast. Don't worry about changing anything right now, we need to establish a baseline and then I'll tell you what I want us to change to help you improve alright?"

The youngest Tendo nodded and said, "How long do you think it'll be before I see any noticeable improvement?"

"I suspect by the end of the day you'll be better than you are currently", the Saotome heiress replied with a smile. "Don't worry about expectations though, let me handle that. I just want you to focus on doing your best and following my instructions carefully. For instance, when I tell you to give me everything you've got, I mean just that. Don't hold back and put your entire mind, body and spirit into it. When I tell you to not use any power at all, same thing although technically that's impossible since it takes force to move your hand or foot."

Ranma leaned forward and gently took the other girl's hands into her own and said softly, "I am going to warn you now. You will be bruised, sore and in a lot of pain before the day is up." Akane gulped but nodded in understanding as the red-head continued, "Tomorrow morning we'll have another session but I'll make sure you'll be able to walk home. I hope no one thinks I am abusing you but I feel it's necessary to toughen you up so that you can last longer in a real fight should the need arise. I am doing this because I love you, even though it's going to really hurt me to hit you. I need you by side for the rest of my life if you'll have me."

"I love you Ranma", Akane said as she leaned forward and gently kissed her girlfriend on the lips. "Of course I want to remain by your side, as I hope you'll remain by mine no matter what life throws at us. Thank you."

"I love you too Akane", Ranma replied in between kisses and pressed herself forward a little more eagerly as she wrapped her arms around the taller girl in front of her.

"You know...", the youngest Tendo said slyly as she winked, "If we keep going like this we'll never get any training done."

"Don't tempt me", the red haired girl replied as she stuck her tongue in her girlfriend's slightly opened mouth and the two passionately kissed for a few minutes until they felt slightly light headed.

"Ranma", the raven haired girl gasped, "We can train at home. We can't get away with stuff like this there because of all the other people that are around us constantly. Maybe we should turn this training trip into an early honeymoon or something more romantic."

"No. As tempting as that is and believe me, it really is, we came here to train and we need to do that", Ranma replied wistfully as she broke off the kiss and looked into her fiancée's warm and inviting chocolate eyes. "We can make out later in the tent after dark but we need to train now while it's daylight."

"Promise?", Akane asked mischievously with a certain silkiness in her voice. Ranma shuddered involuntarily as she felt a shiver run down her spine that caused the rest of her body to tingle slightly in anticipation. It always surprised the her just how little effort it took the tomboy to incite her arousal.

"Promise", the Saotome heiress replied as she leaned in and their lips met one more time for a few moments.

Akane wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and noticed the girl wasn't wearing a bra like the old days as opposed to the last week. If there was ever a time for the red-head to wear one, she figured it would be during a sparring match or fight simply because of all the movement she employed in her style of martial arts. The raven haired girl grimaced when she thought of her fiancé's larger chest bouncing around and how painful, not to mention distracting, it would be. That's when she thought, '_I wonder if that's why she isn't wearing one. She wants to see if I'll be distracted during our spar by her bouncing breasts and is willing to put up with the pain in order to test me. Of course, if she really wanted to test that theory she could go topless like she used to do at home all the time. I don't think I would do very well if she did that. Now, if I were to go topless maybe I could distract her enough to land a few hits..._'

* * *

><p>After they finished eating breakfast and putting the dishes away, Akane started loosening up her muscles again since they had stiffened from the cold. She wondered why her girlfriend had insisted on warming up before breakfast if she needed to warm up again afterwards. She looked over at the red haired girl and noticed she was warming up a kettle wondering if she was making tea or if she intended to change back into her male form. If it was the latter the lack of the bra she felt when they hugged certainly made sense.<p>

"Akane", the shorter girl called out to her friend a dozen meters away, "I will ask you later which form you would rather I was in but for what I have planned now, I need to be male. Is that alright or are you still too uncomfortable with me that way?"

"I'm still uncomfortable with males in general because of what's happened lately but I also realize I need to get over that", the raven haired girl replied cautiously. "Do you really have to be male for the first part though? It's not something you can't do as a girl is it?"

"No, it's nothing like that", Ranma replied as she looked at the other girl in concern. "It's just that it would make more sense if I was male. However, if it bothers you too much I can do it this way too. This training is for your benefit so I'll do it however you want since an uncomfortable student doesn't learn as well as she should."

"Alright", Akane replied slowly. "We'll try it with your male form first and I'll let you know if it starts to bother me too much."

Ranma nodded as she picked up the kettle and dumped some of the water over her head. She sighed as she watched her breasts disappear and felt something else grow out of her body. The former red haired girl squirmed in discomfort for a few moments. The Saotome heiress had grown accustomed to being a girl the last few days and it felt really weird to be a guy again. Ranma wasn't at the point that she hated or disliked her male form but it did feel a little strange to her. She sighed in annoyance at being wet, again, before grabbing a towel and drying off.

"Ranma...", the youngest Tendo said softly as her heart began thumping in her chest in nervousness? excitement? She took in his handsome face and chiseled washboard chest and found her breath hitching in her throat. A soft smile spread across her lips as she felt her body warming up a little.

The black haired boy grinned his standard cocky grin and said, "Alright Akane. I want you to come at me with your standard "bash the male perverts of Furinkan High" method of fighting. I want to see how wide open you leave yourself and I will lightly tag you when I see openings."

The youngest Tendo grimaced knowing full well she left holes in her defense when she fought off the Hentai Horde. Against unskilled opponents she didn't really need a defense and would knock them away with a single attack. If any of them had ever managed to deflect her attack though they could counter and hit her fairly easily. It dawned on her that was exactly why Ranma wanted to work with her on that to start with. She needed to get out of the habit of leaving herself open no matter who her opponents were.

In order to simulate a multi-opponent situation, Ranma danced around his girlfriend's somewhat reckless attacks and tagged her many times in the ribs, stomach and backside from every angle. He was careful to avoid hitting her in the upper chest even though he could have easily. Being a woman himself, he knew how much it hurt to get hit in the breasts. His goal was not to injure her or cop a feel but rather to prove a point and see just how much work they had to do.

"Okay", Ranma said as he signaled for them to stop for a moment. "Now I want to see how your defenses are one on one. I won't dance around you this time. That was so I could attack from different angles as close to at the same time as I can simulate."

Akane nodded as they squared off against one another again. Ranma adjusted his speed so that he was about as fast as he thought she was during their "horde" simulation. They traded blows back and forth, Ranma lightly tagging his opponent when he saw openings in her defenses as he blocked her attacks. They moved about the clearing for a few minutes when Ranma held up a hand to stop the match. Akane halted her attack in time and dropped her hands to her side as she looked at her boyfriend with moist eyes.

"Ranma", she said as she sighed depressingly and with a slight tremor in her voice, "Am I ever going to be good at this? Even though you've reduced your speed a lot I still can't seem to hit you."

"Akane", Ranma said gently as he folded his girlfriend into a delicate hug, "I really don't know how good you can become. It's a journey of discovery that I promise I'll help you with though. I won't lie to you and say we don't have a lot of work to do. You have quite a few holes in your defense and I think working on that and beefing up your toughness are what we really need to do first. This is especially true if you plan on challenging Shampoo, Ukyo or anyone else that comes along in the near future."

The couple separated and began circling around one another again only this time Akane made no offensive attacks. She focused entirely on dodging and blocking Ranma's strikes that seem to come from everywhere almost at once. He kept his speed about the same as to not overwhelm the raven haired girl to the point where she would become frustrated and get sloppy. Akane felt the energy flow within her and noticed that her movements started to gradually become more fluid and graceful. She almost felt like a dancer in a way as she flowed around her boyfriend's attacks.

They spent the remainder of the morning working on Akane's defenses. As she became more and more proficient at dodging and blocking Ranma's strikes, he increased his speed forcing her to adapt and push herself faster. The youngest Tendo felt her muscles burning at the strain but refused to quit or back down. Akane pushed herself harder than she could ever recall doing before. After awhile it became obvious that she was too tired and they stopped so that she wouldn't regress. They decided it was a good time to take a break and have lunch.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kasumi hummed to herself as she walked down the street away from the Tendo estate. It was a beautiful Saturday morning with a light breeze with just enough nip in the air to require a light sweater or jacket in order to be comfortable. The eldest Tendo daughter really enjoyed her morning walks. They were a great way to keep in touch with the outside world but this time she was a woman on a mission. As she headed for the Nerima Public Library she passed by Dr. Tofu's old clinic and her steps slowed until they stopped altogether. The white building had been closed for months, ever since the young doctor had just up and vanished one day without word to anyone about where he had gone or why. She felt her heart skip a beat as she pictured his face in her mind and wondered if she would ever see the man that acted like such a clown around her again.<p>

'_I wonder if he left because of me_', Kasumi pondered for a few moments as she began walking towards the library again. '_It would be nice to see him at least one more time so that we could all wish him a proper goodbye if nothing else. The fact that I thought he was cute doesn't have anything to do with it. Nope, not one bit..._'

The elder Tendo sighed and figured she would probably have to wait until the fall term and attended university before she found anyone she would be interested in dating. There had to be at least one decent man who was intelligent enough to carry on a real conversation and was mature right? She had to deal with enough idiocy from the male sex in her own home often enough in the form of Mr. Saotome, Happosai, Ranma and her own father that there is no way she would ever be interested in anyone like them.

'_Well, except maybe Ranma_', Kasumi thought to herself as she absent-mindedly waved to the merchants she walked passed. '_He seems to be growing up. No! Bad Kasumi, that's your sister's fiancé you're thinking about and the two of them have finally confessed their love to one another. Sure, their relationship might be a little rocky at the moment because of the whole P-chan disaster but they will get through that._'

Kasumi began to wonder how her sister and Ranma were doing alone out in the woods and hoped nothing improper was going on. The eldest daughter was certain she could trust Akane and that the two of them wouldn't engage in sexual relations given their shyness for physical displays of affection. There was also the fact that it wasn't exactly hot outside so they probably weren't stripping each other's clothes off. The brown haired girl figured they might engage in some kissing or something relatively harmless once they got passed the talk and were a couple again though.

She put placed her left fore and middle fingers to her lips and sighed as she thought, '_I wonder what it's like to kiss someone romantically. I'm twenty-one years old and I've never been kissed, how pathetic is that? I wonder if Akane would let me borrow Ranma for a minute. No no no! Bad bad Kasumi!_'

* * *

><p>The elder Tendo daughter walked into the library chastising herself over her thoughts of trying to steal Ranma from her baby sister. She changed her focus and started looking for the books she would need to study in order to ensure that she would pass the entrance exam for Tokyo University. She knew she had a lot to study but she had always gotten near perfect scores in the past. Kasumi was confident she would be able to relearn what she needed in order to do well enough on the entrance exams.<p>

She sat down in a comfortable chair with a stack of books on a small table nearby. As she considered what subject she wanted to brush up on first, her thoughts drifted to the previous evening when she had told her family her plans.

_Kasumi and Nodoka walked out of the kitchen with serene smiles on their faces as they laid out the evening meal. It wasn't an overly complicated dish but the vegetable stir-fry looked really delicious. The eldest Tendo daughter wondered briefly how things would turn out if Nodoka and Genma returned home and she went off to university like she planned. She knew Nabiki would be leaving home in the fall as well which would leave Father, Akane and Ranma as the only full-time occupants. This was assuming the gender bender didn't return home with his parents of course. _

_'Oh my, 'Kasumi thought to herself as she looked around the table and sighed softly. 'Such a change that would be, to go from seven to three. Of course I would come home occasionally as would Nabiki. We've been together for so long now... Focus Kasumi, you need to do this and start living your own life.'_

_"Kasumi", her younger sister said casually as she looked around the table and noticed that two people were absent , "Where's Akane?"_

_"Oh, she's staying with a friend or two for the weekend", Kasumi replied. "She told me she wouldn't be back until Sunday night."_

_"Oh", Nabiki replied slowly as another thought occurred to her. "What about the boy wonder, any information about when, or if, he'll be back?"_

_Nodoka's smile turned into a frown as she became saddened at the suggestion that her son might not come back ever again. Genma and Soun traded glances and the human water fountain began to leak. They began to fret about the schools never being joined and the panda went on about how his son had shamed him for running away._

_Kasumi frowned slightly and shook her head sadly as she looked pointedly at the two men, "I don't know about Ranma. It's possible he'll be back sometime tomorrow or Sunday as well. Then again it's also quite possible that he has left for good because of all of the pressure everyone has been putting on him for so long."_

_The three parents looked back and forth at one another at Kasumi's comment and fell silent._

_"I hope he comes back", Nabiki said with a hint of a smirk on her lips and everyone turned to look at her in surprise. "He still owes me 34,700 Yen plus interest I would very much like to collect."_

_"Nabiki", her older sister said warningly as her frown deepened, "Haven't you extorted enough out of him for nearly two years?"_

_"Fine", the mercenary sibling said as she blew through her mouth noisily. "I'll give him a break on the interest."_

_Kasumi rolled her eyes for a moment before switching topics and clearing her throat. Everyone turned to her and she smiled serenely before saying, "Family, both my own and my extended, I have an announcement I would like to make. Even though Akane and Ranma aren't here and they should know, I want to announce it now. I will tell them when they come back Sunday."_

_"I thought you said you didn't know if Ranma would be coming back at all", Soun interrupted as more tears spilled out of his eyes. _

_"Father", the eldest daughter said gently, "Please stop crying. I know I said I don't know if Ranma will ever come back and that's true. I don't know for sure. However, I have a very strong feeling he'll be home by Sunday evening. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I will be attending university this coming autumn and this is not open for debate. I have put my life on hold for far too long taking care of this household as a live in maid. It's time for me to continue along the path I would have had Mother lived."_

_Everyone sat in stunned silence at the eldest daughter's proclamation. She wasn't discussing the possibility or asking permission. She was telling them in no uncertain terms she would be leaving in the fall. This of course caused Soun to break down and cry again as he wailed about his oldest daughter leaving him. Nodoka smiled proudly, always feeling that the young woman had sacrificed too much of her life already. Genma didn't have much of a reaction one way or another so long as the food quality wouldn't decline which it wouldn't, as long as Nodoka stayed. Nabiki nodded at her sister with a smile on her face, proud that her surrogate mother/elder sister was going to finally move on with her own life. _

_Kasumi smiled at the stunned reactions of her family and future in-laws and said, "Starting tomorrow I am going to be reacquainting myself with the knowledge I have forgotten so that I can pass the entrance exams for Tokyo University. Due to this, I will not have as much time for housework. I would appreciate it if all of you would help me by keeping your areas cleaner. This is very important to me and I ask that you respect it, even if you don't understand why I feel the need to do this."_

_"I approve", Nodoka said warmly as she scooted over and hugged the younger woman. "You're twenty-one years old. It's long overdue that you finish your schooling and find a nice husband. Even though they won't be my grandchildren, I would still love to have some to spoil."_

_"Auntie...", the elder Tendo daughter said as she lowered her eyes and blushed. Nabiki chuckled softly at her elder sister's misfortune._

_"How about you Nabiki?", The Saotome Matriarch said with a smile on her face. "Are you going to university in the fall as well? Perhaps you too could find yourself a nice husband."_

_"Auntie...", the middle Tendo said as she looked away and blushed. This time Kasumi giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand._

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kasumi gathered up the books she had been studying and checked them out. She needed to get out of the stuffy library for awhile and it was approaching lunch time anyway. She was about to start walking home when she shook her head and headed towards Ucchan's to treat herself to something she very rarely indulged in. The elder Tendo daughter didn't feel like making lunch for herself or anyone else. Even though it went against the Tendo boycott, she figured one okinomiyaki wouldn't hurt in the grand scheme of things plus she wanted to see how Ukyo's lunch business was going.<p>

"Hi, welcome to Ucchan's", Ukyo said happily when the door chimes informed her that a potential customer had walked in.

"Hello Ukyo", Kasumi said pleasantly as she sat down at a table in the back of the restaurant and set her books nearby.

"Kasumi", the okinomiyaki chef said in surprise, "I don't think I've ever seen you in here before. What's the occasion?"

"I didn't feel like making lunch for the lazy men in my household and I've been at the library all morning", the elder girl replied with a slight smile on her face as she indicated the stack of books next to her.

"I see. What can I get for you?", Ukyo asked as she mentally noted yet another unusual event in a growing list of bizarre occurrences lately.

Her afternoon crowd, which consisted mostly of high school students had dropped off rather sharply recently. That was especially worrisome since most of them went to Furinkan High. Her evening customers consisted mostly of salary men and their families trying to avoid cooking for themselves once in awhile and had declined as well. The night before was particularly troubling though. Normally her restaurant was packed on Friday nights to the point where sometimes there would be a waiting list. Not only had there been no wait list but there had been two or three booths open all evening too. Business was rather slow for Saturday's lunch rush as there were only three other customers presently.

'_Maybe it's just an off week_', Ukyo mused to herself as she prepared Kasumi's deluxe okinomiyaki. '_I haven't seen Ranchan since that incident with Nabiki on Tuesday. Hmm, Nabiki, I wonder if there is a connection..._'

"Kasumi", the pizza chef asked hesitantly, "Where's Ranchan? I haven't seen him since Tuesday at school or anything."

"I don't know", Kasumi replied sadly as she looked down at the table she was sitting at. "He ran off Tuesday night without a word."

"Why?", the younger girl asked as she brought the brown haired girl her okinomiyaki before sitting across from her the other girl.

"Akane found out about P-chan", the elder girl said darkly.

"We all knew she had a pet pig", Ukyo said in confusion before her eyes widened as something else occurred to her, "Wait, is P-chan someone's cursed form?"

"Hibiki", Kasumi growled as she clenched a fist before forcing herself to relax. "He better not show up again anytime in the foreseeable decade if he knows what's good for him."

Ukyo couldn't help but smile and her eyes lit up as she asked, "Does that mean the engagement between Ranchan and Akane is broken? Since pig boy slept with her hasn't your father demanded she marry him to placate family honor?"

Kasumi gave the younger girl a look that caused Ukyo to recoil hastily as she said in a smoldering tone, "You'd like that wouldn't you, not that it would help you any. Sorry Kuonji, but the engagement between Ranma and Akane is still intact despite your disruption at their wedding last weekend. Even if it weren't you would still have to contend with Nabiki or me. The agreement is between the Saotome and Tendo families, not just those two."

"Nabiki?", Ukyo scoffed as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at the older girl. "Ranchan would never agree to marrying the likes of her with how much she's sold him out over the years. I can't see him ever agreeing to marrying you either. Even if you can cook you are hardly a martial artist. Besides, it's no secret that you don't like younger guys. Finally, I have no idea what he sees in that uncute tomboy sister of yours either. She can't cook worth a damn and her martial art skills are a joke."

Kasumi closed her eyes briefly as she wrestled with her building anger at the brown haired girl in front of her for a few moments. Her brown eyes snapped open and she felt a surge of emotion as the dam of serenity she normally had in place burst. Kasumi shot to her feet in a split second and slapped the chef forcibly across the cheek. Ukyo flew backwards a few meters and slammed into the counter. The younger girl slumped to the ground dazed.

The elder Tendo glared at the girl sprawled on the floor as a faint reddish battle aura appeared around her body and snarled angrily, "I would prefer if you kept your thoughts about my family to yourself thank you very much. You think I am a bad choice to be Ranma's wife because I'm not a martial artist is that it? Well Ukyo, how do you figure your sorry ass is any better? Sure, you might be something of a martial artist but you also seek to control Ranma's future just like that idiot of a father of his. You want Ranma to stay home with the kids while you work in your restaurant. Tell me, in what universe would that ever make the Ranma we know happy? Don't give me that crap that you'll make him happy, we both know you don't give a damn about him and are merely using him to restore your honor when it was his father that tarnished it in the first place. I suggest you take it up with the panda and leave Ranma alone. It should be obvious at this point, even to you, that he has no romantic feelings for you at all. He has chosen Akane and you need to get a grip on reality and respect that, otherwise you are no better than Genma, Shampoo or the Kunos. Good day, Ukyo."

With that, Kasumi gathered up her books and stormed out of the restaurant without looking back. The other customers looked back and forth between the downed chef and the eldest Tendo daughter in shock for a few moments. They gathered up their belongings and left the restaurant as well without paying. Ukyo just stared after the elder Tendo girl in shock for a few minutes before she felt her rage boil over. She climbed to her feet and ran after the other girl determined to pound some sense into her. The okinomiyaki chef was just about to throw open the door when Konatsu dropped down from the ceiling and blocked his employer's path. He shook his head sadly and sighed, knowing the next few seconds were going to bring about some serious changes.

"Move Konatsu", Ukyo hissed harshly as she reached for her battle spatula.

"No Ukyo", the kunoichi replied sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. "You will not harm Kasumi as you tried to harm Nabiki. You've gone too far with everything lately and I will not allow you to attack an innocent non-martial artist."

"Last warning Konatsu", the chef replied heatedly as she repositioned her grip on the baker's peel.

Konatsu chuckled darkly and with contempt dripping in his voice, "Do you really think you can beat me in a fight? Have you forgotten who I am?"

Ukyo grimaced and shook her head as she lowered her weapon and dropped to her knees. She knew the kunoichi outclassed her. She was so used to him blindly following her orders she had forgotten that he could be really dangerous if he wanted to be, just like Ranma. Apparently the men in her life weren't going to allow themselves to be pushed around anymore as memories of how she wound up in the school wall returned to her. All because she had tried to attack Nabiki.

"Go", the brown haired chef said angrily as she pointed out the door. "I don't want you around here anymore Konatsu. You're fired from Ucchan's and you can find yourself a new place to live."

"So be it", Konatsu said without an ounce of warmth in his voice. "It's not like you were paying me a real wage anyway slave driver. Good luck with your crumbling business. Maybe one of these days you'll wake up and actually see the real world rather than your fantasy but I doubt it."

With that the kunoichi stalked into the back room and gathered up his few meager belongings. He walked passed the downed okinomiyaki chef without looking at her and left the restaurant. Konatsu took to the rooftops and decided he would wander around town for awhile in an effort to clear his head. Now that he was homeless and unemployed, he would need to find a place to stay and a purpose for his life. Perhaps Kasumi would have a few ideas.

Ukyo's downcast brown eyes watched as her assistant, rather ex-assistant, walked out of her restaurant from beneath her bangs and felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She cared for Konatsu on some level and he had always been such a sweet friend to her. Now, with Ranma missing, perhaps forever and Konatsu gone, she felt really alone for the first time in months. With her restaurant empty of people anyway, she closed up and headed upstairs. The chef collapsed on her bed without bothering to undress and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma were sitting around eating lunch and talking casually about their morning training. The raven haired girl had a smile on her face despite the many bruises that covered her legs, arms, torso and to a much lesser extent, her face. Akane didn't seem to mind overall though as she realized that her opponents were likely to hit her wherever they could in a real fight.<p>

'_He wasn't kidding when he told me I would be bruised, sore, and in a lot of pain_', Akane thought and grimaced as she shifted position. She looked up and noticed that her boyfriend was staring at her. She started to feel a little uncomfortable underneath his steely gaze and asked in an annoyed tone, "What are you staring at, is there something on my face?"

"No no", the black haired boy replied as he looked away for a moment. He turned back to look her and sighed as he said, "I was trying to figure out how much bruising you're going to have and how long it might take for you to heal up. I was also trying to detect your current Ki ability and wondered if you knew how to use and control it."

"Oh. Um, I'm not sure actually", Akane replied as she looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I know when I focus on breaking bricks or when I'm angry I can feel myself getting stronger but other than that I'm not sure. That was something that I wanted to talk to you about actually. Over the last couple of months I've been meditating trying to keep myself from blowing up at every little thing. I thought I was approaching something similar to your Soul of Ice technique but it seems like mine cracks and I'm ten times angrier than I would have been normally."

"Is that what I saw Tuesday night? I came downstairs to see what was going on and I saw that you were wreathed in a black and deep red flaming aura", Ranma asked as he knitted his eyebrows in concentration trying to figure out what was happening.

"Yes", the youngest Tendo said softly as she hugged herself as a sudden chill passed through her body. "I was like that when I was confronting Ryoga too. Oh Ranma, I held him at sword point and nearly killed him when I lost control of myself. What am I going to do?"

Ranma enfolded the distraught girl in his powerful arms and said softly, "It'll be okay Akane. I think I have an idea of what's going on but first, were there any other instances that you can recall other than those two?"

"There was one other and I think it was the worst one", the raven haired girl replied nervously as she separated from her fiancé.

Ranma raised an eyebrow at that, figuring nearly impaling Ryoga would have been the worst even if the porker did kind of deserve it.

"Remember how I told you about the Valentine's Day Dance pineapple head announced Wednesday morning?", Akane asked as she bit her lip and Ranma nodded. "Well, pretty much every boy began hounding me to be their date for the event despite the fact that the two of us are engaged. Finally, Thursday during lunch I exploded on them and my dark aura formed around me again. That's not all, somehow I managed to conjure a katana out of thin air and was angry enough that I threatened to kill them if they didn't leave me alone. Yuka and Sayuri said I looked like a demoness. I scared the crap out of everyone including myself."

"Oh gods Akane no", the black haired boy said nervously as he felt the blood drain out of his face. He gripped her shoulders and said earnestly, "I think I know what might be going on. Were there feelings of hate during those three instances that you know of?"

Akane nodded slowly as she looked down at the ground and sighed heavily. She didn't need to think very hard to remember how she felt during each of the three occurrences. The first time it had appeared she was confronting Ryoga and there was no question she hated him at the moment. The second time was directed at her father and Mr. Saotome because they had known about pig boy's curse and didn't tell her. They decided to allow a strange boy to defile her bed on the off chance that it might make Ranma jealous. She didn't want to hate either of the men really, but for a very brief period of time she did. She realized that even though Ranma had known the longest and she should have hated him for it in principle she couldn't. She loved her fiancé way too much to let P-chan/Ryoga come between them like the pig had tried on so many occasions. The third time, and the worst in her opinion, was when the perverts of Furinkan High had kept hounding her for dates constantly for two days. There was no question of how she felt about the Hentai Horde plus the extras and what they had done to her.

Ranma enfolded his fiancée into his arms again and gently rubbed her back as he said softly, "If you can, I need you to stop using anger and hate as sources of power and Ki manipulation. It's incredibly powerful yes, but it also feeds on itself and will ultimately consume you as it has already a few times. Please Akane, I don't want to lose you to the dark side like some of the others we know."

The raven haired girl giggled slightly at the reference and then sighed as she replied tiredly, "I really wanted to avoid that as well. I was just so tired of being angry all of the time but for some reason I couldn't prevent it from happening. I started meditating and suppressing my emotions in order to avoid exploding all the time. What did I do wrong?"

"I think I understand what went wrong", the Saotome heir replied as Akane broke the embrace and looked back at her companion with hope sparkling in her brown eyes. "The Soul of Ice is a void of emotion, leaving its user cold and detached to the point where they don't even feel them. Kind of like a soulless robot actually, I think Nabiki would master it fairly quickly if she tried."

Akane laughed quietly as Ranma continued as he smirked, "It's not attained by trampling down and bottling up your emotions like you were trying to do. All that does is cause you to explode much more violently into a near murderous rage as you've discovered. You might kill someone someday and that's not something you really want on your conscious, believe me."

"I know", Akane said softly, barely above a whisper as she felt a chill pass through her and she shivered.

Ranma shuddered violently as memories of his fight with Saffron entered his mind. Akane embraced her boyfriend gently, knowing exactly what was going through his mind as she remembered the event from her doll sized perspective. The two teenagers held on to one another as they basked in each other presence content to know that the other was safe and that the horrible events in Jusendo were behind them. They would never forget the event that irrevocably changed them forever and for the better.

"It's okay Ranma, I'm here", Akane soothed as she had the night of the failed wedding when he had had that horrible nightmare about Jusendo. She gently rubbed his back and continued to speak softly, trying to assure her fiancé that she wouldn't be going anywhere and that they would always be together.

A few minutes later both teenagers managed to get a hold of their warring emotions and separated so that they could look into one another's eyes. They wiped their tears away and tried to recall what they were talking about before their little breakdown.

"I don't know if you'll be able to learn the Soul of Ice honestly", Ranma said gently as he took her hands into his own. "Your fiery temper is deep within your core and very much a part of you."

"You learned it", Akane said as she frowned and looked down at the ground. "Don't you have a temper deep down just like me? If we're essentially the same that way, shouldn't I be able to do it as well?"

"Not exactly", Ranma said slowly as he thought it over for a few moments. "I get mad sometimes, who doesn't, but I don't think you've ever seen me truly angry except when that Mikado jerk stole my first kiss and perhaps a handful of other times. You on the other hand, get angry fairly often and rather easily. There are the dark auras that have popped up lately to consider as well. You're a very passionate girl Akane, almost as if you put a little bit of your soul into everything you do. It's one of the things I love most about you and really don't want to see you lose that."

"The problem with the Soul of Ice is that it demands pretty much the opposite approach", Ranma said softly as he searched his girlfriend's eyes for some indication of her emotional state. "As I said, I don't know if you'll be able to learn it but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. It would be quite amusing indeed if you were to wipe the smirk off Shampoo's face with a Hiryu Shotan Ha though."

Akane giggled and said, "I've been wanting to do that for a long time now. What better way to beat her then with their own technique?"

"The first thing we need to do is change what emotions you use to fuel your Ki as well as your responses to insults and taunts", Ranma said seriously as he lowered his eyes. "Unfortunately, I don't think I am going to be of much help in that department now."

"Why not?", the raven haired girl asked.

"Well, before we became a couple and I tried that you never shrugged them off and would hit me for it", the Saotome heir replied. "Now, you'll know I'm teasing and don't really mean it, therefore it won't have the effect we're really looking for."

Akane gasped as she thought back over the past year and a half and thought, '_He's been trying to help me all along? Of course, it all makes sense now. Ranma taunts everyone he fights to see if it throws them off just as they taunt him for the same reason. Maybe he never meant those horrible things and was just trying to help me shrug them off so that when I fought someone for real they wouldn't affect me as much. Shampoo and Kodachi certainly won't hesitate in trying to use my anger against me. His constant dodging was another method of helping me which I failed to recognize as well. I needed to improve my speed in order to hit him. I was too blind to see what he was really doing and would get angry, which of course just made me very sloppy. It's no wonder I never improved, here he was trying to help me and I missed it completely.' _

"You've been trying to help me all along haven't you?", the youngest Tendo asked quietly.

Ranma nodded and sighed as he replied, "Yeah. I probably should have told you what I was doing though. It might have been more effective."

"Maybe", Akane replied slowly. "I still would have gotten mad at you for all those horrible things you said to me and chances are pretty high I would have still been frustrated to no end when all you did was jump around me. Oh well, let's not worry about what-ifs and might-have-beens. We're here now, let's make the most of it."

The Saotome heir raised an eyebrow and smirked as he said, "That's an interesting change from this morning when I had to threaten you with a pale of cold water to get out of bed."

"I know", the raven haired girl replied. "You were right and I'm tired of being the laughing stock of Nerima. I'll never be as good as you, but I want to see how close I can get."

Ranma smiled brightly and nodded, "Then we should get back to work. One thing I would like to see you do is use your Ki to enhance your speed instead of your strength. That's one of the reasons I'm so fast. If you aren't fast enough to hit someone, all the strength in the world doesn't matter. It'll help you avoid damage better too which again, super strength doesn't really help you with."

The raven haired girl nodded as she stood up and said with a grin on her face, "Shall we spar some more Sensei? I'd like to test out this Ki-speed thing you're talking about if I can figure out how to do it. I think we've rested long enough."

Ranma grinned at the girl's eagerness and nodded as he said, "That's the Akane I know and love. Come at me whenever you're ready and let's see what you've got, grasshopper."

* * *

><p>Konatsu sat on a bench in Nerima Park, looking for all the world a calm and peaceful woman lost in meditation. Nothing could be further from the truth though. His thoughts bounced around his mind in a chaotic pattern that defied mathematics in its complexity and simplicity. He had miscalculated in his defiance of his now ex-employerhousemate but he couldn't just allow Kasumi to be attacked by the delusional chef. The kunoichi just couldn't understand how Ukyo could possibly think that Ranma would ever turn to her considering everything that had happened recently.

Granted, Ukyo had not been present in China when Ranma had risked everything he was, everything he could ever be on a single chance to save Akane from death. She hadn't there to witness his death cry and how much he had pleaded with the great Kamis to restore his beloved. Okay, so Konatsu hadn't been there either, but knew all about it since Ranma had talked to him while the chef was at school a few days back.

Ukyo in the past had flaunted that Ranma considered her his best friend. Konatsu seriously doubted that was still the case considering her actions of late. Perhaps Ranma wasn't actually upset about the wedding being interrupted since he and Akane were far from ready to be married. The kunoichi was fairly certain that the use of explosives was way over the top though. There was also her part in destroying Nodoka's house trying to steal what she thought was an engagement ring too.

"If Ukyo persists in this okinomiyaki plan of hers", Konatsu said softly to himself, "she will have completely lost it. She's tried to attack two Tendo sisters now who are both non-combatants. Does she really believe that's any way to get on Ranma's good side? He was annoyed at her because she attacked Nabiki and put her in a wall. When he finds out about her attempt on Kasumi..."

He shivered despite the lack of a breeze and began walking around the park lost in thought. His mind drifted back to a different conversation he and the petite red-head had had a few days earlier.

_"Konatsu", Ranma said pleasantly, "You were raised a woman and think of yourself as one correct?"_

_"Yes", the kunoichi replied sadly as his shoulders slumped, "I know I'm not and chances are would never be."_

_"That's not true actually", the red-head replied with a smile on her face. "You can become one like I did. All you have to do is go to Jusenkyo and take a dip in the __Nyannīchuan or get drenched with a cask full of the water. I could write a letter to Plum and she would would be more than happy to send you one. At that point you woud become a water magnet and switch back and forth like I do. If you are absolutely sure you want to remain female for the rest of your life, we could always talk to Herb and he could lock your curse for you."_

_"You would do that for me?", Konatsu asked in amazement._

_"Of course", Ranma replied with a warm smile on her lips. "The decision is yours, just let me know what you want to do and I'll help you any way that I can."_

_"Thank you", the cross dressing ninja said as his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I'll let you know when you come back from your trip on Monday alright?"_

_"Take as long as you need", the Saotome hieress said as she gently laid a hand on her companion's arm. "It's a big decision to purposefully take on a curse. I didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter and you've seen how much trouble it's caused me."_

Konatsu sighed as he continued to walk around the park aimlessly. He watched the other women with their children and longed for a real chance at happiness. His thougts returned to Ukyo and whether he had any real shot at the chef or more importantly, if he wanted to try for her affections himself. She seemed pretty bent on trying to steal Ranma away from Akane. He doubted when that failed spectacuarly that she would suddenly be interested in him. Perhaps it was time to let her go and become what he had been raised to be.

'_I think I'd like the standard curse for now_', the kunoichi thought to himself as he stared into the fountain in the middle of the park. '_Just in case I don't actually want to remain a woman for the rest of my life despite my upbringing. We can always lock it later if I decide to stay that way right?_'

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, a roof hopping ninja dropped down in front of the front door to the Tendo house and rang the bell. He waited patiently for a few moments before the door opened and saw the woman he had defended earlier at Ucchan's.<p>

"Hello Miss Tendo", Konatsu said formally as he bowed. "I was wondering if I might speak with you for a few minutes, if you aren't too busy."

"Konatsu isn't it?", Kasumi asked hesitantly as she stepped aside and gestured for the boy to come in.

"Yes", he replied as he followed her to the kitchen where she offered him some tea she had recently prepared which he gratefully accepted with a smile.

"What can I do for you?", the elder Tendo girl asked as she sipped her own tea.

"I wanted to apologize to you for Ukyo's behavior earlier. She was out of line, especially when she tried to attack you as you were leaving", Konatsu said softly as he lowered his head.

"Oh my!", Kasumi exclaimed. "She was trying to attack me?"

"Yes", he replied sadly as he went on to describe the events after the older girl had left.

"You must stay here as our guest", the brown haired woman said pleasantly after she recovered from the shock that the chef had meant to harm her.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly impose on your family like that", Konatsu objected as he waved his hands in front of him.

"You must", Kasumi said in a tone that wouldn't take no as an answer. "You saved my life after all. I must repay that kindness and since you are homeless and unemployed because of me, I insist that you stay here so that I can make it up to you."

"You're too kind", the kunoichi said as his eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

"Nonsense, let me show you where you can stay", the elder Tendo daughter said as she lead Konatsu up to the guest room that Ranma still used. Kasumi didn't think her future brother-in-law would truly mind but would be sure to ask him when he came home. Genma and Nodoka were using Happosai's old room since the ancient pervert disappeared the day of the failed wedding and no one wanted him around anymore. It was unclear how long they would stay as their house was nearly rebuilt.

* * *

><p>Genma and Soun sat down, exhausted. They had been working on the dojo all day and were finally finished. It had taken many hours a day for nearly a week to get it finished, but finally they could get back to their Shogi games and sake.<p>

"Well Saotome", Soun panted as he looked around his dojo proudly, "We're finally done, at least until the children wreck it again."

"The next time my son damages it, he can fix it himself", Genma replied in between breathes as he too looked around the training hall. "I'm supposed to be enjoying my retirement, not doing construction work. That's what the young people are for."

"Quite so Saotome, quite so", the Tendo patriarch said. "We should celebrate our hard work. Let's go to the bar for a well deserved break."

Genma nodded and the two men headed off towards a local bar without even bothering to clean themselves up or change clothes.

Nodoka watched impassively and shook her head in disgust as she thought, '_Animals._'

The Saotome Matriarch walked into the dojo and inspected the repairs as her thoughts drifted back to the previous Sunday afternoon.

_"Husband, come with me. We need to talk", Nodoka said in a steely tone as she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away from the Shogi table._

_"Unhand me wife", Genma growled before he heard the unsettling sound of a sword sliding out of its sheath. _

_"You are going to fix the dojo since you are half the reason it was destroyed in the first place", the coppery haired woman replied icily. _

_"No", Genma replied and then paled as his wife's eyes turned colder. "It was that Kuonji girl and the Amazon that destroyed the dojo."_

_"If you hadn't tried to forcibly marry off my son before he and Akane were remotely ready they never would have attacked it", Nodoka countered. "As I recall it was because of your foolishness that they are after Ranma in the first place. Get Soun to help you if you want, but so long as this place is wrecked you will not play your afternoon games or drink on the premises. You will certainly not leave the property to get drunk either. Do I make myself clear?"_

_"Y-Yes dear", Genma replied as he bowed his head. _

_"Good", Nodoka said as she sheathed her family sword and headed towards the house. She called over her shoulder, "Get to work husband, now." _

_Later that day, while the fathers were in the dojo working, Nodoka emptied out Soun's liquor cabinet and hid the bottles and glasses. Then, with Ranma's help, they hid the Shogi table in Akane's room, figuring neither of them would look there. The Mother/Son duo couldn't help but laugh as they removed their husband's/father's 'distractions' from the job at hand. _

The copper haired woman smiled and nodded her approval. Despite how lazy her husband was, he and Soun had done a really good job of repairing the dojo in a timely manner. She smirked in amusement as she thought, '_Nothing like taking away my lazy husband's fun and games to motivate him to work. I wonder if I could motivate him to get a real job..._'

* * *

><p>Ranma looked over at his somewhat battered girlfriend with a grimace on his face and shook his head sadly. He hated hurting her but knew it was the only way the girl would improve. He stopped their sparring and sat down looking depressed as he stared into the fire.<p>

Akane walked over and put an arm around him as she knelt down and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...", the black haired boy replied but then amended when he heard Akane scoff. "Everything... I hate this. I hate hurting you even though I know you're a martial artist and you need to go through this in order to improve."

"I understand this is hard for you", the youngest Tendo said gently as she slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It means so much to me that you're finally taking me seriously as a martial artist. Thank you."

Akane leaned forward and pressed her soft breasts into Ranma's muscular chest as she kissed his neck softly. This of course did not go unnoticed and she felt something rise from below her body and poke her. The raven haired girl smiled inwardly knowing full well what was happening as she continued to kiss her boyfriend's neck slowly from below his left ear down to the clavicle. She switched to his right side and did the same slow kiss routine from below his right ear down towards his right clavicle.

"Akane...", Ranma moaned in pleasure from his girlfriend's ministrations and his hands began to wander across her back. He considered for a few moments slipping his hands underneath her blouse but wasn't sure how she would react to that and decided not to risk it. Perhaps later when they made out for real in the tent.

The youngest Tendo leaned back a little and looked into her fiancé's blue eyes before closing the gap between their lips and drank deeply. They sucked in one another's breath and they could feel their passions warming up inside of them. It was then that she recalled her 'promise' to Kasumi about being too touchy feely with her boyfriend and the elder sister's warning about getting pregnant because they went to far in the heat of the moment. A heat of the moment that was even now poking her in the butt. Face flushing bright red, she climbed off Ranma's lap and looked down at the ground embarrassed.

"What's wrong?", Ranma asked in concern and disappointed at the loss of contact. He tried to force the tent in his pants to behave itself but it showed no signs of shrinking back to normal.

Akane sighed as she looked back up into her boyfriend's eyes and said, "The only way I could get Kasumi to let me come out here by myself was that I told her we were going to clear the air about the whole P-chan thing and train. She was pretty upset that we might do something improper in the heat of the moment that would result in me getting pregnant. I assured her that nothing remotely close to that would happen. I know I'm not ready for anything like that and I don't think you are either. I want to give you my virginity on our wedding night, not before alright?"

Ranma nodded and said, "I think you're right. We're just now starting to get somewhat comfortable with one another."

The youngest Tendo grinned slyly and said silkily, "Now, this doesn't mean we can't go a little further tonight in bed, but you'll need to be a girl."

The Saotome heir looked down at his pants and sighed, the tent of manhood refusing to leave him alone. He looked over at the pond and decided to take care of the problem in a manner that was fairly unique to him. Ranma stood up and walked over to the pond, which confused his girlfriend until she saw the tent in his pants. She giggled and shook her head as she recalled another instance recently when her boyfriend had decided to remove the problem by switching genders.

"Cheater!", Akane called out to her now female fiancé as the red-head emerged from the pond.

"If I have to have this curse", Ranma replied with a grin, "I might as well make use of it when it really comes in handy."

The raven haired girl grinned, glad to see her girlfriend again and asked, "Ranma, what are we going to work on next? So far you've beaten me up pretty good working on my defenses and toughness. I don't think I've quite got a handle on that Ki-speed thing though."

"I didn't expect you to get it today but I'm glad we tried", Ranma replied. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah", Akane said as she noticed for the first time that she actually was hungry.

"Okay. I'll go ahead and get dinner started", The red haired girl replied. "If you want to take a bath, now would probably be the best time. It's only going to get colder later, especially once the sun goes down."

"How?", the youngest Tendo asked as she eyed the pond and shivered. Without knowing how cold or deep it was, she really didn't want to go swimming particularly. She looked at the pots Ranma had pulled out to cook dinner and wondered about using them to hold warm water and wash with that. She grimaced at the thought of then eating out pots she used to wash herself with and shook her head in disgust. If the pond wasn't deep and she was fast, she could wash herself and then stand by the fire to warm up afterwards.

"Easiest way I figure is to just use the pond", Ranma replied as she shrugged. "It's reasonably shallow until you get ten meters or so away from the shore. Other than the cold you shouldn't have any issues. I'll warm up a towel for you as you finish up alright?"

Akane nodded and eyed the pond once more, not looking forward to her little chilly dip. She walked into the tent and grabbed her bathing supplies and a towel that she handed to the red-head. Steeling her nerves, she walked down to the shoreline and looked back at her girlfriend who was watching her in concern.

"You aren't going to watch me are you?", the youngest Tendo asked with a certain steel in her voice.

"No", Ranma replied as she walked into the tent and then called out, "Okay. I'm in the tent so I can't see you. When you're in the water let me know so I can continue to work on dinner alright?"

"Okay", Akane replied and then proceeded to strip off all of her clothes. As she was leaning over and removing her panties, she felt a really powerful shiver pass through her body and thought, '_I can't believe I'm standing out here naked in the middle of a clearing about to step into freezing water just so I can have a bath. Maybe I should have worn my bathing suit after all._'

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!", Akane screamed as she stepped into the freezing water.

Ranma came tearing out of the tent and yelled, "Akane!"

"Don't look you pervert!", the youngest Tendo shouted and hurriedly ducked into the water in order to preserve her modesty as she said through clenched teeth, "I told you I would tell you when I was ready."

"You screamed", Ranma said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you expect? This water is freezing", Akane replied heatedly.

"Look Akane, I'm sorry", the Saotome heiress said exasperatedly. "For all I knew you saw a wild animal or a person. Maybe I was wrong about the ledge length and you fell into the deeper water. I don't know."

Akane's facial features softened and she realized that her girlfriend had only invaded her privacy out of concern and felt ashamed. Hadn't they agreed they weren't going to call each other perverts anymore since neither one of them wanted to be thought of anything that remotely resembled Happosai or Kuno?

The youngest Tendo shuddered and said, "I'm sorry for calling you a pervert Ranma. I hadn't thought about those other things and jumped to conclusions again."

"It's okay Akane...", Ranma started as she turned back towards the campfire and continued to work on dinner.

"No it's not", the raven haired girl interrupted before her voice turned sad as she said, "I made a promise and broke it in less than a day. I've made too many promises I just can't seem to keep over the last couple of years."

"Don't worry about it", the red-head replied as she grinned mischievously. "I know habits are hard to break, besides we both know who the real pervert between the two of us is."

Akane growled softly to herself but didn't refute her girlfriend's claim. It was part of their new agreement, if one of them called the other a pervert the other got a free pass as long as it was within a reasonable amount of time. The youngest Tendo suspected she would be giving Ranma a lot of free passes for awhile as she tried to break the long ingrained habit. She grabbed the soap and a washcloth and scrubbed herself clean as quickly as she could. About halfway through Ranma set up a towel near the fire so that it would be nice and warm a minute or two later when the raven haired girl was done with her bath.

"I'm ready to come out now", Akane called out as she shivered again.

"Okay", Ranma replied as she picked up the warm towel. She unfolded it and held it out in front of her in such a way that she couldn't see where she was going or her beautiful girlfriend's naked body. Akane walked of the pond, grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself. She giggled slightly when she noticed that the red-head's eyes were closed.

"Thank you Ranma", the raven haired girl said. She leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend on the lips for a few moments before heading off towards the tent so that she could change.

Ranma smiled and walked back towards the campfire so she could finish making dinner. She decided to not bother having fish with the meal and watched the sun start to dip below the horizon. She knew she was going to be cold when she took her bath after dinner.

Akane and Ranma sat next to each other in front of the fire basking in its warmth. When the sun had dropped below the horizon the evening chill swept in fairly quickly. The Saotome heiress looked over at the pond and shivered, not looking forward to her bath in the slightest. Even though it meant she would have to deal with the Nerima idiots, Ranma was actually looking forward to returning to the Tendo dojo the next day. At least then she would be able to take a warm bath and sleep indoors. When she had been on the camping trip from hell, a.k.a. the ten year training trip with her father, she didn't mind sleeping outdoors so much as it was all she knew. Now though, having lived at the Tendos for over a year and a half, she definitely missed being indoors and in a bed at night.

The youngest Tendo looked over at her girlfriend who seemed lost in thought and smiled. The girl was so beautiful Akane felt her heart flutter just from looking at her, let alone imagining the red-head's soft but strong hands caressing her skin gently and kissing her. She knew how wonderful Ranma tasted and licked her lips in anticipation. She knew she needed to be patient though as they were still eating dinner. Once they went home the next day she would really have to reign in her impulses if they were to have any hope of hiding their relationship from their families. She breathed in deeply and caught a whiff of the other girl's unique scent which set her nostrils aflame.

In an effort to dampen her growing arousal as her eyes slowly drifted from the girl's face to rest on her larger chest, Akane asked, "What is the plan for training tomorrow?"

Ranma startled for a moment and then looked over at her companion who's head rose to meet hers and said, "Well, I'd like to give your bruises a chance to heal. I think we can work on some katas and Ki manipulation including something I think you'll really enjoy, once you get the hang of it that is."

"Really? What's that?", Akane asked as her brown eyes sparkled in the firelight.

The red haired girl grinned at her girlfriend's enthusiasm and said, "Tree hopping."

The raven haired girl squealed and hugged her smaller companion next to her and said, "Awesome. I've always wanted to be able to roof hop like the rest of you. Even Kodachi can travel along the Nerima skyline. It sucks that I'm the only one that can't."

"Don't worry 'kane. We'll fix that tomorrow hopefully", Ranma replied softly as she tried to return the other girl's hug and thought, '_Kodachi really isn't that bad of a martial artist. You would be smart not to underestimate her._'

"When do you think I'll be able to learn a Ki attack?", Akane asked, hope dancing in her eyes.

"Whoa, slow down tomboy", the Saotome heiress teased as she laughed softly. "First learn the basics of Ki manipulation like augmenting your speed and roof hopping. Don't be so impatient. I promise I'll get you caught up the best I can."

Akane giggled as the two girls sat there and watched the firelight dance in front of them. The sun gasped its last breath and darkness took over. They sat there just enjoying one another's company as they idly talked about various light topics.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at the Tendo estate, Kasumi, Nabiki, Nodoka and Konatsu were sitting around the dinner table enjoying a meal the elder Saotome had prepared. No one bothered to ask where the fathers were, it just meant that the meal would be civil and there would be little to no crying because the schools wouldn't be joined or some other nonsense.<p>

Nabiki couldn't help but feel nervous and glanced at Konatsu many times throughout the meal. She was concerned that the ninja was a spy after all he had been employed at Ukyo's for awhile. She was even more worried about her sister who had somehow stirred up Ukyo's anger enough for the chef to try to attack her. She blinked at that thought, Akane she could see angering the chef fairly easily but Kasumi? She looked over at her sister and was met with her normal soft smile. A smile she knew that held many secrets and wasn't as innocent as she had longed believed. Her elder sister could be downright devious if she needed to be, a sobering fact Nabiki had begun to learn recently. She couldn't help but be concerned that their boycott/lawsuit plan was in jeopardy though.

Kasumi cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her, "Konatsu will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. Ukyo threw him out of her restaurant when he refused to let her attack me. Since we have room and it's because of me that he's now homeless and unemployed, I felt we should take him in. I don't think Ranma will mind sharing his room."

"You are too kind, thank you", Konatsu replied.

* * *

><p>A little while later the doorbell rang. Nodoka, who was the closest opened the door and narrowed her eyes at the tall girl with long brown hair standing there.<p>

"Hello Ukyo", Nodoka said frostily as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the teenager.

"Mrs. Saotome", Ukyo started and gulped audibly. "Is Ranchan here?"

"No he isn't", she replied steely. "Even if he was, don't you have other, more pressing matters to attend to first?" '_Such as apologizing to Nabiki, Kasumi and Konatsu?_'

"Huh? No. Nothing is more important than my Ranchan", the chef replied.

"I see", Nodoka growled menacingly. "In that case I am terminating your engagement to my son and you are forbidden from contacting him under any circumstances."

"What?!", Ukyo shrieked as she clenched her fists. "You can't do that. Your husband took my dowry and ruined my honor."

The Saotome Matriarch chuckled darkly as she glared at the chef in front of her and snarled, "You really think you're entitled don't you?"

"Damn right!", the okinomiyaki chef shouted. "Ranma was promised to me when were six. My dowry is gone, stolen by your piece of shit husband. Your family owes me!"

Nodoka burst out laughing and shook her head, "Thanks Ukyo, I needed a good laugh. I suggest you leave before you say anything dumber than you already have." Her voice turned deadly serious as she growled, "Don't forget your hand in destroying my house, Kuonji. My HOUSE! My HOME! Not to mention the Tendo's dojo. You owe Ranma and me a lot, little girl. I suggest you go back to your little shop and scrap together some sort of living while you still can."

Ukyo just stood there speechless as the Tendo's front door slammed in her face and tears welled up in her eyes.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Cologne was in the kitchen of the Nekohanten perched on her staff lost in thought. The week had been the slowest week she could ever recall in the last year and a half. Even when Nerima had been buried under twenty centimeters of snow last holiday season there had been enough take out demand to justify staying open. Shampoo was sitting at a nearby table looking incredibly bored and Mousse was off somewhere.<p>

'_That's weird in itself_', Cologne thought. '_Ordinarily Mousse would be here trying to woo Shampoo since she's not incredibly busy and can't get away from him. I wonder if it has to do with that Kaori girl that asked for him on Wednesday. He hasn't said anything about it but then why would he? Between that and the slower business something is definitely amidst._'

'_Ranma disappeared around then too_', the elder matriarch mused as she set about making herself a ramen dish. '_According to Shampoo, who got the information from Akane, Ranma apparently left the Tendos Tuesday night to someplace unknown. Hmm, for all we know he could have decided to leave and never return. I wonder what happened between him and Akane. I guess I can stand to be in this country a little while longer and see how this plays out._'

#I miss my beloved#, Shampoo whined in Mandarin as she walked slowly into the kitchen. #Why doesn't he love me?#

Cologne rolled her eyes and ignored her great granddaughter's pathetic complaint as she continued to stir the ramen in the pot. The elder had a few guesses as to why the pigtailed martial artist didn't love the younger Amazon but she was done telling her why. It was up to the Shampoo to put it together and realize the truth once and for all. She was too stubborn to listen to what she or Ranma himself had been telling her for awhile now.

She never thought Shampoo had a snowball's chance in Hell really but life had been far more entertaining in Japan than it would have been in the village. The elder had considered staying regardless just because of the entertainment alone but she missed home. It was clear to her that Ranma would never willingly go back to China with them and she didn't want anyone that could defeat Saffron, whether it was a fluke or not, mad at her or the village.

'_I wonder if Ranma would accept an honorary Amazon position_', Cologne thought to herself as she continued to ignore Shampoo's plaintive cries. '_Of course, we would have to offer one to Akane as well. With some training she could be pretty good despite what I said to her the other day. Hmm, I shall have to think on this._'

#Shampoo shut up! You're an Amazon warrior for crying out loud, not some pathetic male#, Cologne yelled as she left the kitchen and walked into her office.

* * *

><p>Akane moaned softly as she slowly became reacquainted with the land of the living. It was Sunday morning and she found herself laying on her side with her arms wrapped around her red haired girlfriend. She gently squeezed the other girl and froze. Her one hand was wrapped around Ranma's stomach, that was innocent enough but the other... She gently squeezed again and noticed it was smaller and a lot softer. There was something sticking up between two of her fingers as well. Puzzled at what it could be she withdrew her hand towards the opening in the girl's shirt. Her fingers drew across the soft flesh that protruded from the mound her hand slid across. With a blush, Akane realized just what she had been holding and continued to withdraw her hand. Ranma moaned softly but otherwise did not show any awareness.<p>

The raven haired girl shook the other girl's shoulders and said, "Rise and shine sleepyhead. It's time to train."

Ranma frowned and said sleepily, "Go 'way, lemme sleep baka."

Akane grinned evilly as she thought how she could get back at her girlfriend for her morning wake up the day before. "No Ranma, it's time to get up. We have a lot of training to do and only a half a day to do it in. Get up or I'm getting the cold water."

That threat percolated through the red-head's sleep addled mind and she slowly opened her eyes knowing this sounded too familiar. "You wouldn't..."

"If you aren't up in one minute I will", the raven haired girl said as she exited the tent and grabbed a pot before walking down towards the pond.

The Saotome heiress sat up as memories of the previous day came back to her and she smirked thinking, '_That's why it seemed so familiar. Well, let's see how she deals with this_.' Ranma engaged the Umi-sen ken and snuck out of the tent while Akane was down at the pond's edge.

"Thirty seconds Ranma", Akane shouted and then mumbled, "This is payback for yesterday."

Ranma's grin turned evil as she snuck down towards the water's edge making sure to stay mostly behind the other girl. She thought, '_Ranma Saotome doesn't lose._'

"BOO!", Ranma shouted as she decloaked right behind her girlfriend.

Akane leapt into the air in sudden fright and landed butt first in the pond. The water was freezing and it covered her legs, hips and stomach chilling her quite quickly. She looked up, her heart thundering in her chest, to see a laughing Ranma and felt herself getting angry. She clenched her fists and growled, "RAAAANNNNMMMMMAAAAA!"

The Saotome heiress flashed the girl a grin and took off with Akane right on her heels shouting, "Come back here you jerk!"

Ranma half turned and stuck her tongue out at the other girl and called back, "Come and get me slowpoke."

The youngest Tendo growled and chased her girlfriend around the campsite for a good half hour before Ranma finally stopped next to the fire pit. Akane arrived a half second later and threw a punch towards the other girl's head. Ranma caught the fist and spun her around so that she was holding Akane's arm behind her own back. The red head kissed her girlfriend on the back of her neck and breathed into her ear as she said, "Come on love, lighten up a little."

Akane trembled as she felt the other girl's breath on her ear and then smiled, realizing the game for what it was. She felt the pressure on her arm disappear and she turned around in her fiancé's arms. She wrapped her arms around the other girl and pressed her lips gently against those of her red haired girlfriend. Ranma returned the kiss and the two girls stayed like that for a few minutes, pressing their chests against one another as their mouths sought to conquer the other's in a furious match of Martial Arts Tongue Fencing.

"You know Ranma", Akane gasped in between kisses. "You've been such a bad girl, I really should punish you."

"You're not going to spank me are you?", Ranma teased as her blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

Akane grinned and slapped her girlfriend playfully on the butt and said breathily, "You naughty naughty girl you."

"Mmm", Ranma moaned and said, "I know I've been bad, please Akane, punish me more."

"We should really go back into the tent for that, come along you delinquent. It's time for your punishment", Akane said seductively as she dragged her girlfriend back into the tent. "On your knees you wretched little girl!"

Ranma fell to her knees wondering what the raven haired girl next to her was really going to do. Akane knelt down next to her fiancé and pulled her down so that the girl was laying face down across her knees. She felt the girls larger breasts on her legs and smiled as she pulled her girlfriend's pants down to reveal a pair of boxers.

Akane frowned at the boy underwear and slapped the girl on the butt again as she said, "Now I really must punish you. Bad girl for wearing boxers."

"Mmm", Ranma moaned again. "I know I've been naughty sensei, what must I do to atone for my actions?"

The raven haired girl pulled the girl's boxers down revealing her creamy white flesh and grinned as she slapped Ranma on her butt again. "Naughty girl, I must slap you a few more times, maybe you'll learn your lesson then."

"Mmm, teach me please", the red-head moaned as her girlfriend slapped her a few more times on her soft posterior flesh.

A few moments later the absurdity of the situation caught up with them and they started giggling as Ranma rolled off her raven haired girl's knees. Given where the girl's pants and boxers were currently, Akane couldn't help but get an unobstructed view of her girlfriend's womanhood and noticed a clear fluid seeping out from the girl's folds. Akane's face turned bright red as she tried to look away but found that she couldn't. It was then that she noticed her own womanhood was feeling rather warm and her panties that had kind of dried running around were now becoming wet again. She found it interesting that Ranma didn't call her a pervert for staring at her naked womanhood and was very grateful for that, not that she wouldn't have deserved it. In that instance, she was very much a pervert but was glad all the same when it wasn't pointed out.

Ranma pulled her boxers and pants back up and the two girls sat there looking anywhere but at one another for a few minutes. The silence between the two of them grew heavy and uncomfortable.

"Ranma I'm sorry", Akane said as she looked down at the floor of the tent. "I don't know what came over me. I had no right to strip you down, slap your bare butt and stare at your womanhood like I did."

"Akane", the red-head said slowly as she inched over to the other girl. "We've already seen each other naked at one point or another and it wasn't like I didn't ask for you to slap me. It was weird but I actually enjoyed it. Maybe I'm a masochist, it would certainly explain a few things."

Akane burst out laughing and shook her head as she said, "Ranma, that's not normal."

"Normal?", Ranma asked with a lopsided grin on her face. "Akane, I'm a boy that turns into a girl with the application of cold water. I spent nearly two thirds of my life learning martial arts on the road and I've gone up against demi-gods and somehow lived to tell about it. I think the 'normal' ship sailed a long time ago."

"Good point", the youngest Tendo said as she embraced her girlfriend and rubbed her back.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, after the girls had gotten the weirdness out of their systems, they left the tent and cooked breakfast. They were nearly an hour and a half behind schedule thanks to their other activities. Neither of them regretted them for a moment though as they were things they couldn't get away with at home.<p>

While the youngest Tendo loosened up her muscles for training, Ranma took a bath in the pond. Just as the red-head had done for her the evening before, Akane walked towards the pond with a warm towel. The red haired girl took the towel and wrapped it around her body while Akane's eyes were closed.

The raven haired girl continued to loosening up her body by going through her warm-up katas while Ranma ducked into the tent to change. Unlike the previous day where she had spent a good deal of it as a male, the red haired girl had no intention of turning into a guy for the day's training. She let the towel drop around her feet and rummaged through her pack for a white pair of panties and bra. After putting on the underwear she considered what outfit she wanted to wear and decided on a pair of black drawstring pants and a red Chinese shirt.

Ranma walked out of the tent and watched as Akane performed one of her more advanced katas since she was loosened up by this point. She noticed how the taller girl flowed from one move to the next with practiced ease. That made sense, considering how many times she had see Akane do this same kata ever since she moved in with the Tendos.

"You know Akane", the red head quipped as she sat on the log near the fire, "it wouldn't hurt you to do a different kata once in awhile. I think I've seen that one a thousand times."

Akane frowned and said in a mock angry tone, "Yeah well, if you'd ever get off your lazy butt and teach me some maybe I would."

Ranma grinned and replied, "I will. Don't worry about stuff like that we can do at home right now. As we discussed last night, I want to get you started on roof hopping. Looking around it seems we have suitable trees here, we just need to work on your Ki control. Are you ready to work on the Ki-speed again?"

"Don't you need to loosen up?", the youngest Tendo asked in concern.

"Not really", the red head replied. "Think of it this way, you might actually hit me until I do loosen up."

"Ranma...", Akane growled as she charged forward faster than the Saotome heiress actually planned for. Ranma fell backwards off the log on purpose and dodged her girlfriend's strike but now she was prone on the ground as the raven haired girl pressed her attack.

She laughed as she rolled around on the ground a couple times avoiding the other girl's foot stomps. Ranma finally managed to get into a kneeling position and shot forward forcing Akane to duck in order to dodge the red haired human missile. After missing her target, the Saotome heiress flipped herself in the air and smiled as she landed facing her opponent.

"You're getting faster Akane", Ranma said proudly as she slid into a combat stance. "Can you feel your Ki flow through you, enhancing your speed?"

"I believe so", the youngest Tendo replied as she returned her fiancé's smile. "I feel faster than yesterday. Shall we continue?"

"I'm waiting on you slowpoke", Ranma said teasingly. "After all, I can talk and dodge at the same time."

Akane scowled slightly as her girlfriend smirked and charged forward as she said, "I'll wipe that smirk off your face Ranma."

"We'll see", the red-head replied as she casually slipped around her fiancée's punch. What she didn't expect was the knee kick to her stomach which tagged her.

"Ha, gotcha", Akane cheered and offered the other girl a sunny smile.

Ranma smiled warmly as she nodded and the two of them continued to dance around one another, Ranma attempted to dodge everything her girlfriend was throwing at her. Unlike spars in the past though, Akane was not getting frustrated to the point where she would succumb to her berserker rage like she used to. She was in control of her emotions and could feel the energy flow through and around her. Her movements were fluid and graceful.

"You're still leaving holes in your defenses Akane", Ranma said as she suddenly jabbed the other girl's ribcage. "Remember what we went over yesterday. Just because I am not countering you can't leave holes."

"I thought we were working on my speed", the youngest Tendo said as she tried to block a follow-up attack to her stomach. "How can I focus on my speed if I have to worry about defense as well."

"You don't", Ranma replied as she poked her girlfriend in the sternum. "You work on your speed in conjunction with your defense, offense, situational awareness and strength. You developed quite a few bad habits fighting the Hentai Horde everyday we need to break you out of."

Akane nodded and the two resumed their sparring for awhile. Finally, Ranma called it quits and the two girls walked over to the log and sat down to rest. Their fingers intertwined with one another as they sat there, just trying to enjoy some quality time together before they went back to work.

"What emotion or emotions did you wind up choosing to use?", Ranma asked as she looked over at her companion.

"I decided I would try passion first", Akane replied. "As you said, I tend to be fairly passionate in everything I do so I thought that would be easiest. When I feel more confident in my abilities I'll add that to it like you do."

Ranma nodded and smiled as she said, "That's a good choice for you, much better than anger or", the red-head shuddered, "hate."

Akane grimaced at the reminder of her recent dark auras and nodded her head shakily. It didn't matter if she had to give up half her power, she never wanted to lose control like that again. It just wasn't worth it and the results could be devastating. What if she had hit Yuka or Sayuri in her rage? She would have killed them with no chance for either of them to survive. She shivered at the thought and shook her head. She didn't want that kind of power and understood how Ranma might feel in regard to her or anyone else.

"Alright Akane, let's get to work on tree hopping. I'm pretty sure you can master this and it can be a lot of fun", Ranma said as she stood up and offered her hand in order to help her girlfriend stand up. She led the taller girl towards a group of trees she felt the novice hopper would be able to handle.

Ranma wrapped her arms around the other girl and said, "Reach out with your feelings and allow your passion to flow through you. Feel the warmth around you like a winter blanket and let it envelop you."

"I'm trying Ranma", the raven haired girl said as she pouted briefly before reaching within herself and trying again.

The Saotome heiress sighed and said, "Trying implies failure. In the words a great philosopher once said, 'Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.'"

Akane snorted as she giggled softly and said, "Hai Master Yoda."

Ranma grinned and leapt into the tree effortlessly which of course caused her student to scowl in irritation as she mumbled, "Show off."

The youngest Tendo closed her eyes as she envisioned her passion for martial arts and for Ranma like it was her favorite winter's blanket. She could feel the energy wrap around her and suddenly she felt warm and safe. She opened her eyes and sent that feeling into her legs as she sprang into the air and over the branch to land on the ground a little ways away. She turned around and shrugged sheepishly as she said, "Opps"

"That's not bad Akane", Ranma called to her from her perch. "You've got the ability, now you just need to learn how to control it and judge accordingly. I want you to practice landing on specific targets for awhile. This tree would probably be a good choice actually."

* * *

><p>Akane spent the next hour or so trying to hop into the various trees that were around the clearing. She made most of the attempts from the ground as she needed to learn how to gauge how much power along with the accuracy required to land on small targets.<p>

Ranma stopped doing one of her katas and said, "Say Akane, how would you like to make your tree hopping training more interesting?"

The raven haired girl gave her companion a wary look and asked, "How?"

The Saotome heiress grinned and leapt into the tree Akane was standing in presently and hugged her. "Simple, we'll leap around the forest from tree to tree. Every time you successfully follow me, or I follow you, we kiss a few times or something. I don't think we want to do full blown make out sessions up here for each tree though."

Akane's face lit up in a brilliant smile as she nodded and giggled, "We'd only get a few trees done if we did that."

Ranma chuckled softly and nodded as she grinned and embraced her girlfriend. She gently kissing her tomboy on the lips and drank in their taste rather deeply.

"Not that I mind, but why did you kiss me?", Akane asked as she returned the other girl's hug.

"Simple", the Saotome heiress said with a sunny smile on her lips. "I followed you up here successfully."

Understanding dawned on the youngest Tendo's face and the two girls leaned into one another slowly as they kissed one another deeply and sucked in each other's breath. They broke apart before they started to feel light headed though. They separated from one another and looked around at a nearby tree they could jump in.

"I love you Akane", Ranma said softly as her hands began to wander around her girlfriend's back.

"I love you too Ranma", Akane replied as her smile grew wider and she returned her red-head's ministrations.

The two girls separated from their hug a few moments later and Ranma looked around for a suitable tree to leap into. Finding one, the red-head poked her girlfriend in the forehead and said teasingly, "Tag, you're it."

Akane giggled for a moment as she looked at her target area, grinned to herself and then promptly began to give chase.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	9. The First Wall Crumbles

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Eight

_The First Wall Crumbles _

.

.

Darkness fell across the landscape as two girls walked hand in hand along the road leading towards their home town of Nerima. The shorter of the two stopped next to a sign and sighed. Akane looked over at her companion with a raised eyebrow until she followed her girlfriend's gaze towards the sign. It read: 'Welcome to Nerima, where insanity is the norm because crazy martial artists reign supreme'.

The two girls laughed quietly and Akane said, "I wonder who wrote that second part."

"I don't know", Ranma replied as she caught her breath, "I kind of wish I had thought of it though. It's certainly true enough."

"Yeah, especially once you showed up dear", the raven haired girl replied as her eyes danced in the dwindling sunlight.

Ranma raised an eyebrow at the endearment and shook her head as she said, "You know, honestly, I'm not sure I'm ready to face the insanity again. I vote we go back to the campsite and have some more fun", she coughed a little, "I mean training."

The youngest Tendo grinned as she squeezed her girlfriend's hand and said, "I know honey", Ranma nodded at that one and Akane smiled softly as she continued, "I would like that as well but we've missed too much school already. Besides, wouldn't you like to sleep in a warm house and take a hot bath? You couldn't have enjoyed bathing in that freezing lake any more than I did."

"I know love", the red-head replied as she sighed heavily. "It's just that it's been really nice for us to finally be alone together without having to worry about meddlesome parents, older sisters, fiancées and suitors. I really enjoyed cuddling with you at night when we went to bed. It's a shame we won't be able to do that at home."

"Yeah", Akane replied wistfully as she nodded her head in agreement. "We definitely won't be able to if we want to keep our relationship a secret." The Tendo girl looked thoughtful for a moment as a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes and she said slyly, "Although, now that you mention it, I wonder how our families would react if they found us in bed together."

"Are you kidding?", Ranma asked incredulously as she looked at her girlfriend as though she had grown a second head. "Our fathers would be dancing in the streets going on and on about the joining of the schools. They would figure we're getting along well enough with one another and throw another surprise wedding within 24 hours. My mother would be disappointed I wasn't male at the time considering how badly she wants to see us married with children on the way. I don't know about Kasumi, I suppose it would depend whether she thought we were intimate with one another as girls or not. Even if she assumed we're only platonic friends while I'm female she might consider it inappropriate anyway because we're still an unmarried couple. Nabiki probably wouldn't care unless she slipped back into her blackmailing routine, which to be honest, I am still nervous about. This would be a gold mine for her if she were to sell pictures of us sleeping together at school."

"Ranma", the raven haired girl said softly, "I know my sister has done some questionable things to us in the past, but I'm fairly sure even she wouldn't be so heartless to out her own sister as a lesbian to the entire school. She says that she did what she did for our family because money was tight especially once you and your father showed up. While you're right that this would bring in a sizable amount of cash, if I mean anything to her at all she wouldn't destroy me that way."

"I hope you're right", Ranma replied uncertainly deciding once again that she would trust her girlfriend's judgment. "You don't really want to risk exposing our secret do you love?"

"I don't know honey", Akane said silkily as she slid her body up against her companion and lightly traced her girlfriend's face with a finger. "I think it would be thrilling to see how much we could get away with right underneath their noses. We could even heat things up a bit making out without our clothes getting in the way. We should be more than warm enough underneath the covers. Can you imagine the look on their faces when they realize that we're cuddling with one another naked?"

The Saotome heiress blushed heavily at the mental imagine and moaned softly as she felt the tomboy's breasts rub against her own. She felt a wave of fire spread through her body in excitement and said softly, "You're evil you know that?"

The raven haired girl smirked seductively and slow kissed the red-head passionately as she slipped her tongue into the other girl's mouth while her arms snaked around her waist. Ranma found herself losing all of her willpower and melted into her girlfriend's embrace. Her arms reached around Akane's back and the two girls continued to slow kiss one another until they became somewhat light headed. They separated for a few moments and licked their lips as they sighed heavily. As much as they wanted to stay and continue to make out with one another, doing so on a dusty road just outside the Nerima city limits wasn't particularly the best place.

"Come on Ranma", Akane said huskily as she looked at her girlfriend with a slight dazed look in her eyes, "Let's go back home. We can go to bed and finish what we've started here a little more comfortably."

Ranma nodded wordlessly as her brain decided it needed to reboot itself. Akane grabbed the red-head's hand and the two of them started walking towards the Tendo estate. Neither girl said much for awhile as they were lost in their own thoughts about their impromptu make out session and everything they had done over the weekend. Despite how horny they were and how much they loved one another they really hadn't gone that far physically yet. Due to the temperature and/or how new the relationship was for them, they had restricted their wandering hands to mostly each other's backs and over the clothes. They had yet to really touch one another intimately other than a few isolated incidents here and there. Ranma couldn't decide if her girlfriend was teasing her about making out in the nude or not but the effect wasn't lost on either of them. Akane had blushed heavily when she had said that as well.

A little while later, they saw the compound coming into view from up the street and Ranma stopped suddenly and released the other girl's hand. Akane frowned at the loss of contact but knew what was going through her girlfriend's mind and agreed.

"What's wrong Ranma?", Akane asked.

"I don't know if we should show up together. Didn't you tell them you were going to stay with friends this weekend?", the Saotome heiress said in concern.

"Kasumi knows that I decided to go after you but you're right, the others think I went to Yuka's or something", the raven haired girl replied as she scratched her chin in thought. "I guess I should go first, seeing as how it's a school night and they know I would definitely make it back before it was too late. Since they aren't even sure you're coming back at all, maybe you could give me a half hour or so before you come home?"

"I guess I'll go to the park for awhile then", Ranma replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay", Akane said as she gently kissed her girlfriend on the lips before heading down the street towards home.

* * *

><p>"I'm home", Akane said cheerfully a couple of minutes later when she walked through the front door. She walked into the living room and noticed Nodoka sitting on the couch reading a magazine.<p>

"Welcome home Akane dear", Nodoka said pleasantly as she set down her reading material and patted the seat next to her. "Did you enjoy the weekend with your friends? Do you think you'll be able to forgive my son for the ugliness that happened Tuesday night with that dishonorable pig?"

"My weekend was fantastic", the raven haired girl replied with a huge smile on her face. "I talked it over with my friends and I think Ranma and I will be able to get passed this in time. I'm still mad that he would hide it from me but not as much at him as the situation itself. Your husband and my father on the other hand, I still haven't forgiven them since they withheld it from me and aren't the least bit apologetic about their actions. The reason I'm not as upset with your son as I am with the fathers is because Ranma was willing to face any punishment, including banishment, that I was willing to dish out. I think you would agree with me that it is very manly that he is willing to accept responsibility for his decisions."

"Oh my indeed", Nodoka beamed with pride as a smile spread across her face, "That is very manly indeed. So, are you two a couple again?"

"Well", Akane paused as she considered her words carefully. She didn't want to lie but at the same time she didn't want to give away their secret. "I still need to talk to Ranma about some things but I'm feeling better about our chances. We'll have to see how things go."

Nodoka nodded and said, "I'll do anything to help you two, even if that means if I stay out of your way completely if you want."

"That would be great Auntie, thank you", the Tendo girl replied as she continued to smile. "Where is everyone else?"

"Well", the Saotome matriarch said slowly, "Your father and my husband are doing what they do best, which is cheat one another at Shogi or Go or whatever. I believe your sisters are up in their rooms. Ranma hasn't come back yet as far as I know and that mysterious ninja person, Konastsu I believe, is lurking around here somewhere."

"Konatsu is here?", Akane asked with a raised eyebrow. "Did something happened between him and Ukyo?"

At the mention of the chef's name, Nodoka's face turned dark as she scowled and said, "He? I thought he was a girl..."

Akane giggled softly and nodded, "He was raised as a girl. Up until a few months ago he thought he was one."

Nodoka blinked but nodded as she continued, "Anyways, I don't know exactly why he is living here now, you'll have to ask Kasumi. As for Ukyo, she tried to force the issue about her so-called engagement to my son which did not make me happy. Suffice it to say that as far as I'm concerned I will never recognize her claim even if you and Ranma have a falling out. I asked her if there wasn't something more important for her to do, such as apologize to your sisters for attacking them or to me for destroying my house. She didn't seem even the slightest bit apologetic about either."

"Ukyo attacked Kasumi and Nabiki?", Akane growled angrily as she clenched her fists. The raven haired girl shook her fists meaningfully as she snarled, "I might have to have a few words with her tomorrow morning."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the red haired girl watched as the tomboy walked down the street with a certain lightness in her step before sighing and taking off towards the park via the Nerima skyline. A few minutes later Ranma arrived in the park and immediately went towards the swing set. Having never had much of a childhood thanks to her idiot father, moments where she could just enjoy swinging for its own sake were few and far between. As she swung her thoughts drifted back to one of their conversations during the walk to Nerima from the campsite.<p>

_Akane and Ranma walked along the dirt path hand in hand just enjoying each other's company, even if they had to be heading home rather than staying in their own little world. Part of them wanted to stay forever as they were finally free to show each other as much affection as they dared. The other part, the part that hated freezing baths and was tired of campfire food was glad they were heading home._

_"You know Ranma", the raven haired girl said softly, "I think your fiancées are going to make a move on you this week. They haven't done much and with Valentine's Day right around the corner you can bet they'll try to ruin things."_

_Ranma nodded and sighed as she said, "I know love. I would have thought it was obvious to them by now that I would rather leave and never return than marry any of them. Are they super dense or do they just not care about my feelings at all?"_

_"Probably a combination of the two", Akane replied with a smile on her face as she gently squeezed her girlfriend's hand in support. "Don't worry, I'll help you with them if you want."_

_"I'd like that", Ranma replied with a smile on her angelic face, "We're in this together now. No matter what happens, remember that I've already given you my heart and nothing will ever change that. I'm just not sure what to do about them. Technically it's the panda's fault that Ukyo is involved at all and I've already told her a hundred times I only see her as a friend or at best a sister. Shampoo, I guess that one was kind of my fault. Pop and I did carelessly eat her feast that she had rightfully won in their yearly tournament. I foolishly challenged her thinking it would make everything better. Instead, as you know, it made everything a lot worse. Kodachi is just insane and I don't how I'll get her out of my hair unless she's found some other poor sap to fawn over by now. Finally, there is you which is also Pop's fault, but since I love you I can't say I mind too much now."_

_Akane smiled warmly at her companion and stopped which caused Ranma to stop as well. She pulled the smaller girl into an embrace, kissed her gently on the lips and said, "I love you too."_

_Ranma sighed and the two girls continued to walk down the trail as she said, "You know it's a shame we can't execute the __Saotome secret technique: Crouch of the Wild Tiger__ and move to another city to finish our schooling. I know you would miss your sisters but would either of us miss the insanity?"_

_"Not really", the Tendo girl replied with a smirk, "Although it has definitely been more interesting since you arrived, I'm ready for things to calm down so we can move on with our lives."_

_"Me too love", Ranma replied softly, "me too."_

"Seeing as how much Kodachi hates my girl form", Ranma said quietly to herself as she continued to swing, "I could probably get rid of her by showing her the curse and making sure she sees the change with no possibility of it being a trick. I've tried that with Kuno in the past but she's smarter and more observant. Ukyo and Shampoo, I don't know. I just don't know..."

* * *

><p>A little bit later, Akane walked upstairs and put her backpack away before heading for Kasumi's room. She knocked on the door and walked in before freezing in place. Kasumi was laying on her bed topless while Konatsu was straddling her hips and massaging her back. The kunoichi was giving her elder sister a shiatsu massage and from the look on the older girl's face, she was deeply enjoying it. She blinked for a moment and shook her head at the scene which seemed completely out of character for her proper elder sister. The young woman's dress and bra were in a neat pile off to the side.<p>

"Oh, sorry. I'll come back later", Akane said sheepishly as she turned to leave.

"No it's alright. Welcome home Akane, how was your weekend?", Kasumi said as she rolled onto her side to look at her younger sister, exposing her breasts. The ninja rolled off her back and started gathering up the oils he had brought along with him. "Thank you Konatsu, that felt wonderful."

"You're entirely welcome Kasumi", Konatsu replied as he walked around the bed and left the room without looking back at the half naked woman he had just been sitting on top of.

"It was really nice", Akane replied hesitantly, unsure if her voice would work correctly as she took in her elder sister's body. She could feel her face begin to heat up and shook her head trying to clear it of perverted thoughts. '_Damn it, I shouldn't be getting turned on seeing my sister half naked. What the hell is wrong with me? Ranma's the only girl I want to see naked._'

"Is there something wrong Akane?", Kasumi asked in concern as she watched her sister's face redden and avert her eyes.

"You're half naked", the youngest Tendo blurted out and then slapped herself as she groaned. "What happened to Miss Proper?"

Kasumi blushed and quickly redressed as she said, "It's not like Konatsu saw anything but my back and a massage works a lot better in direct contact with the skin than through clothes."

Akane grinned and said, "Do you have a thing for him?" before smirking internally and thinking, '_Maybe I can use this as leverage if she catches Ranma and me doing the same thing. Oh, a massage from those little but powerful hands of hers would feel so good..._'

The elder sister sat back down on the bed and said, "I don't know. He's really nice and we spent most of the day together getting to know one another."

"That's great sis", the raven haired girl replied as she smiled warmly as she walked over and sat down on the bed next to her sister. "You deserve to be happy and Konatsu is a great guy. Ranma and I talked things out this weekend and we decided to try being a couple again but please keep that to yourself. We're not remotely ready to be married and if we start showing that we're getting along the fathers might get too many ideas in their little heads. We really don't want to have to go back to fighting with one another, even for pretend, but we're not sure what our options really are."

Kasumi tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully and said, "Auntie Nodoka seems capable of keeping her husband in line and I'm pretty good with Father. I think we can prevent them from throwing another surprise wedding so you can develop your relationship naturally. I would ask that you two respect certain boundaries though. I'd rather not catch you two in the bath or in bed with one another. If you keep it decent, then I have no problems with you two exploring your relationship and enjoying each other's company."

"Um, Kasumi", Akane said as she narrowed her eyes at the hypocritical attitude of the other woman, "I just caught you half naked with a guy that's mostly a stranger and you want to tell me what my fiancé and I can and can't do?"

"Akane...", the elder girl said with her own steely tone.

"No", the younger of the two interrupted angrily. "If you're going to make these rules then you need to abide by them as well. Just because you're considered an adult and I'm not doesn't mean you should get a free pass with someone you barely know and I shouldn't with someone that we've known for nearly two years. It's not like it's really going to matter anyway. Ranma and I have only recently become somewhat comfortable with one another and we're both horribly shy when it comes to displays of affection, physical or otherwise. For you to tell me that I can't get a topless massage from my own fiancé, assuming I would even be comfortable with that, while you can from a stranger is just a little too hypocritical of you Kasumi."

"You're right", Kasumi said as she looked down at her bedspread in shame. "Will you refrain from bathing together and having sex at least?"

"Yes", Akane replied calmly as she reached and held her sister's hands gently. "Kasumi, you really don't have to worry about Ranma and me going too far. We've already decided that we would wait until our wedding night to have sex, not just because of what you said Friday morning, but because we want it to be special. I don't think you have to worry about the bath any time soon either. We never watched each other change the whole weekend we were away even when we were both girls."

"Ranma has feminine modesty now?", the elder Tendo asked as she raised an eyebrow. "I'm not surprised you wouldn't let him watch you, but I figured if he was a girl he wouldn't bother to hide when he changed."

Akane nodded but refrained from mentioning the other observations about her fiancé she had noticed over the weekend. Ranma had changed a lot more than just showing some feminine modesty while she was a girl. The red-head's behavior was very close to that of a natural woman now in her mannerisms, speech patterns and general disposition while as a guy he was his normal Ranma self. It was almost as if there were two personalities residing within one body. Unlike some personality disorders though, they didn't seem to compete for dominance. No, it was almost like she was two different people with two minds that had to share one body. Could Ranma's soul have been split into male and female sides? If so, and her soul had bonded with the female half, it would certainly explain why she felt a great deal more passion for Ranma's girl side. Maybe she was a lesbian after all, it would explain a few things...

* * *

><p>Ranma awoke Monday morning to the unusual sensation, well unusual to a normal person anyway, of flying through the air just before splashing into the Koi pond. He, now she, lifted her head out of the water and glared at her father who landed softly about ten meters away.<p>

"Damn it Pops", the red-head groused, "Why can't you ever wake me up like a normal person and ask if I want to spar?"

"A martial artist must always be aware of his surroundings...", Genma replied only to be interrupted and splashing in the Koi pond from Ranma kicking him in the back.

"Yeah yeah", Ranma replied sarcastically, "That's good and all but how am I supposed to be aware when I'm asleep? Practice what you preach old man."

*Boy, I'll teach you to respect your elders*, Genma signed as he lumbered out of the pond and took up a stance.

"Bring it on", she said as she yawned before the two of them leapt at one another in a flurry of kicks, punches, grapples and throws. Panda and daughter battled around the garden for while and Ranma began to feel better. She realized she missed beating up on her old man but still would prefer not to wake up flying through the air. One of these days she would miss the water and could be killed hitting one of the rocks that surrounded the pond, something the panda would probably never think of.

Ranma was dancing around her old man when Akane ran by and shouted, "Beat up your old man for me, won't you Ranma?"

The red-head grinned and said, "Absolutely". She then caught her father's paw and flipped the panda over her shoulder nearly hitting her girlfriend in the process.

"Ranma! Watch where you're throwing your idiot father you jerk", the raven haired girl shouted back before turning around again and giggling softly as she ran out the gates of the Tendo estate.

*Boy! Why are you throwing me at your fiancée?*, Genma signed as he struggled to his feet.

"Why did you attack me from behind old man?", Ranma countered before jumping up onto the wall surrounding the Tendo property. She looked around for the youngest Tendo and sprinted after her jogging companion for a morning run.

*A martial artist must always oh never mind*, the panda signed and walked back into the house.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Ranma to catch up with her girlfriend and the two girls smiled at one another as they ran down the street in the crisp morning air. After they were both sufficiently warmed up, they hopped onto a narrow wall and began jogging down it as though they were still running on the sidewalk. Ranma noted happily that the raven haired girl seemed to have little trouble maintaining her balance. It was time to increase the challenge.<p>

"Hey Akane, do you think you can make it on top of the roofs around here?", Ranma asked as she launched herself onto a nearby roof.

The Tendo girl considered the height she would need to jump while maintaining her concentration needed to remain balanced on the narrow wall and frowned. Ranma always made everything look so easy. She stopped jogging forward and turned around. Taking a deep breath, she stated running down the narrow wall again feeling her Ki spread through her body as she increased her speed. The raven haired girl pushed off from the wall and into the air only to land on top of the roof somewhat clumsily. Considering the fact that she nearly missed a step and fell flat on her face she didn't think she had done that badly.

Ranma walked over to her and enfolded the taller girl in a hug and said gently, "Good job love. I'm sorry if this is to soon."

"What makes you think it's too soon?", Akane asked, hoping her girlfriend didn't notice her near disaster.

"I can feel your nervousness plus I saw that last step", Ranma replied softly as she rubbed the other girl's back to try to calm her down. "You nearly fell off the wall and that could have been really bad. Maybe we should hold off on roof hopping from narrow walls for awhile and work from the sidewalk instead. You'll need more power because of the greater distance but at least you won't have to worry about your footing as much."

The Tendo girl nodded and the two girls separated from one another. Ranma looked around and noticed that the houses seemed to be close enough together that hopping from one roof to the next shouldn't be much of an issue. After poking Akane in the forehead and saying, "Tag, you're it", Ranma grinned and ran off leaping to another roof. The raven haired girl grinned and chased her girlfriend as just like the day before in the trees surrounding their campsite.

* * *

><p>Ranma and Akane arrived home awhile later and paused as they looked at one another in concern. Both of their faces were flushed from an impromptu make out session in one of the alleyways just before they had finished their game of tag on the Nerima roofs. The girls really hoped everyone would think the redness was from training and the crisp morning air rather than guessing their secret. Oh sure, they could have avoided the whole problem by not making out with one another but that would be akin to asking them not to breathe at this point. They loved each other too much not to show it, at least in private, passionately and often.<p>

"We're home", the girls called as they walked into the living room only to find breakfast on the table already.

"Oh my!", Kasumi said as she scurried back into the kitchen before returning with two servings of food. "Did you two lose track of time? You're running late."

"Damn", Akane said as she plopped down in her seat. "I was really hoping to take a bath this morning before school. Ranma, I think we're going to have to start our training sessions an hour earlier from now on alright?"

Ranma nodded as she too sat down at her place and said, "Yeah. I'm sorry Akane, I didn't realize how long we were out there this morning after my fight with the panda. Oh, Pops, looks like we're either going to have to forgo the morning spar from now on or we're going to have to start earlier. I'm helping Akane with her martial arts and what we're working on needs to be done in the morning."

The Saotome heiress turned to glare at her father and the Tendo patriarch and said, "No comments from either of you about training a girl you got that? We don't want to hear it and I'm doing it regardless of what you say. I made a promise to Akane and I intend to keep it."

Genma grinned mischievously and said, "Earlier is fine boy. Of course this probably means I'll kick you into the Koi pond again since that wakes you up faster." His brain processed the second part of his female son's speech as he shared a look with Soun and nodded as if to say, 'The schools will be joined for sure!'

"You know for once, could I actually start out as a guy?", Ranma said as she rolled her eyes and dug into her breakfast.

"Where's the fun in that?", the overweight martial asked as he too returned to eating breakfast.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma ran along the sidewalk trying to get to class on time despite their late start. The black haired boy completely forgot about the ladle lady and sighed when he felt the cold water splash him across the chest. Akane giggled and Ranma rolled his eyes as he shrunk and changed into a girl.<p>

"I guess I'm going to homeroom as a girl today", Ranma said indifferently as the two continued to run towards the school trying to beat the clock.

"When are you going to learn to dodge her or bring some hot water with you?", Akane teased as she reached out and grabbed her girlfriend's hand and squeezed it lovingly for a second before releasing it.

"I suppose if what form I was in really mattered to me at this point I would", the red haired girl said as she shrugged. Ranma looked over at her companion and not for the first time, she noticed that something was different about her fiancée.

Akane looked over at her companion and noticed the smaller girl was staring at her and asked, "What are you staring at me for, is there something on my face?"

"No, but there is something different about you", the Saotome heiress replied as she looked lost in thought for a moment. "I had this feeling over the weekend too but I'm not sure what it is."

"Huh? What's that?", the Tendo girl replied as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

Ranma caught the motion and snapped her fingers as she said, "Of course! It's your hair. It used to only reach the bottom of your ears but now it's long enough to almost reach your shoulders. How long do you plan to grow it out? It looks good on you but that's not all. It's lightening and taking on a more bluish color instead of black with blue highlights. What's going on Akane?"

The girl in question smiled and grabbed her girlfriend's hand again and squeezed as she said, "Thank you for noticing Ranma..."

"Not sure how I could miss it...", Ranma snorted and frowned since it had taken her so long to notice.

"Nevertheless", Akane replied warmly, "Thank you for the compliment and for noticing it. Other than Kasumi the rest of the family hasn't said anything about it yet. Mousse was able to give me a Chinese hair formula that would accelerate my natural hair growth. I wanted to restore it to how long it was before pig boy cut it in one of his careless attacks shortly after you arrived. Are you sure it's lightening too though? He never mentioned that it would do that."

"I don't think Mousse would screw up on purpose as he has no reason to fight with you but it definitely looks bluer. Do you have any of the formula left?", Ranma asked as they turned the corner and noticed that the school was coming into view fairly quickly. "I don't have the dragon whisker curse so I can't just grow it out insanely quickly anymore."

"I do have some left yes but it won't work on you", the raven haired girl replied. "Actually I take that back, it would work on you. The problem is if you used my batch you would start to grow black hair with blue highlights instead of your normal red. See, the formula is actually tied to a person's DNA so in order for you be able to use it and grow your normal color, you would have to make your own batch."

"Ah, I take it it's not very difficult if you were able to make it without screwing it up", the Saotome heiress replied teasingly as she giggled and leapt out of the way of her girlfriend's halfhearted attack.

"Ranma...", Akane growled in mock anger and then laughed quietly. "One of these days I'll learn how to cook properly and make you eat your words."

"I'm looking forward to that day love", Ranma replied and slowed down as the two girls came up to the school gate. They looked around half expecting to see a horde of boys and one delusional kendoist waiting around but saw no one. They looked at each other and shrugged, glad they wouldn't have to deal with the idiot squad and it's moronic captain.

Akane looked up at the clock tower and groaned, "Well, no wonder we didn't have a welcoming committee."

Ranma's gaze followed that of her girlfriend's and nodded. The two girls walked up to the second story and started to head to their classroom when Akane suggested that the red-head could change back since they were already late. Ranma shrugged and walked into homeroom instead, not caring at the moment that she was a girl. It wasn't like everyone save one kendoist didn't know about her dual gender situation. The Saotome heiress felt comfortable as a girl, sometimes even more so than a guy, and it just didn't bother her anymore.

* * *

><p>"Tendo, Saotome", the homeroom teacher said in an annoyed tone. "You're late. Buckets!"<p>

The two girls nodded as they set down their book bags and grabbed two buckets each before walking back out into the hallway to perform their punishment for being tardy. They talked quietly in the hall about various things for awhile before they were called back into the classroom.

"Saotome", the teacher said after Ranma sat down in her seat and took out a piece of paper and a pencil. "Why are you a girl?"

"I was splashed on the way here and didn't feel the need to change back", Ranma replied with a shrug which in turn caused many of her classmates to gasp and look at her suspiciously.

"I see", she replied as she shook her head. "The very concept that you casually switch genders and it doesn't even bother you is baffling. Welcome back by the way. I think I only saw you once last week. We won't have a repeat of that this week will we?"

"Thank you and no ma'am we won't", the red-haired girl replied causing the rest of the class to look at her funny. Ranma was being polite and proper? Did he think he was a girl again and that's why he didn't bother changing back? What was going on? Ranma continued and with a glance towards her girlfriend she said, "There was a bad situation that I needed to take care of last week that I hope is sorted out now." Akane smiled softly and nodded knowing full well what she was referring to. "I know I've missed a lot lately and I intend to make up as much as I can."

"Very good", the teacher smiled warmly and said, "I'll give you your missed assignments after class. For now though, class, please turn to page 453 in your Literature book and read the first poem."

* * *

><p>A few hours later the bell rang signifying that it was time for lunch. Ranma smiled as she gathered up her books and was about to walk out of the classroom to eat lunch on the roof when a slender hand on her arm stopped her. She looked back and noticed Akane, Yuka and Sayuri all standing there looking at her expectedly.<p>

"What's wrong girls?", Ranma asked, slightly confused as to what was going on.

"Silly, have you forgotten already?", Akane asked in amusement as she withdrew her hand and her eyes danced with mirth. "We talked about it last night and decided that you would eat lunch with us so you could get to know Yuka and Sayuri and they could get to know you. I was hoping that my three best friends would get along with one another."

The Saotome heiress nodded and the four girls walked down to the courtyard and sat underneath "their" tree. Ranma and Akane sat side by side up against the tree while Yuka and Sayuri sat in front of them with their backs to the yard.

"Ranma Saotome", Akane said somewhat formally, "I would like you to meet Yuka Hagisaki and Sayuri Moriega. Yuka and Sayuri, this is Ranma Saotome. Even though you three have kind of met before, I would like us all to start with a clean slate."

"A pleasure to meet you both", Ranma replied as she inclined her head in a seated bow as the other two girls did the same.

"Nice to meet you Ranma", the other girls said nearly simultaneously.

Over the next fifteen minutes or so Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma learned a little about one another. Ranma learned that Yuka was an aspiring artist and frequently created abstract pieces of art that hung everywhere in her living room. Now that she thought about it, the red-head remembered seeing a painting in her girlfriend's bedroom that she now knew one of her best friends had painted. The Saotome heiress was impressed to say the least, the only thing she had a talent for was martial arts as far as she knew. Perhaps it was time to branch out and find something else she could enjoy as well.

Sayuri was an accomplished musician specializing in the piano. Due to financial issues her parents had to sell their piano so she hadn't practiced for many years. The reddish-brown haired girl mentioned that she planned to take the music course the first trimester of their senior year. Sayuri then suggested that Ranma take the course as well if she had any interest in music and especially if wanted to play an instrument herself.

"I've always loved listening to music and find it quite relaxing", Ranma replied as she shrugged. "I don't know if I would be any good at playing one though despite how good I am with my hands. I'm not sure I have much rhythm."

"You'll never know if you don't try", Akane said warmly as she rested a hand on Ranma's arm. "I think you need to branch out from martial arts and music would be a great choice. You already have a great singing voice even though it's rare that you let anyone hear you. You could also join the drama club or gymnastic teams if you wanted."

"Nah", Ranma replied with a small smile on her lips, "That's your thing and I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes."

"What makes you think you would be better than me or everyone else at those?", Akane asked with a raised eyebrow while Yuka and Sayuri watched in interest.

"I'm Ranma Saotome", the red-head replied as if that explained everything.

Akane growled and playfully hit her girlfriend in the shoulder and shook her head as she said slyly, "That doesn't mean you'll be the best. I can think of a few areas you're clearly a novice in still."

Ranma turned to look at the raven haired girl and caught the ghost of her secret smile that only showed up when she was feeling playful. She knew what her girlfriend was referring to and blushed slightly as she nodded her head slowly. Yuka and Sayuri noticed the byplay but weren't sure what to make of it. Figuring it would only embarrass their new friend even more they let it pass.

"I'll try the music class in April", Ranma said as she thought about it some more. "Worse comes to worse I change classes if I don't like it or whatever. You're right, I need to try new things and expand my horizons. I've been so focused on martial arts for so long, thanks Pop, that I've let myself become a one-dimensional character and that's no way to live."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ukyo stood off to the side and set up her portable okinomiyaki grill in order to try to stir up business again. For some reason her after school crowd had mostly disappeared the previous week. She sighed deeply and lowered her eyes when no one approached her after standing there for ten minutes. She could understand them not coming to her restaurant during lunch because of the travel time to make it back before afternoon classes. Why were they ignoring her when she had brought the restaurant to them?<p>

Her eyes wandered around the courtyard and settled on Ranma who had for some reason decided to remain a girl the entire morning. Even now he was acting out of character socializing with Akane and her two friends. She scratched her head and thought, '_What happened to the Ranma we knew? This isn't like him at all. I wonder if Akane somehow brainwashed him to think and act like a girl. She doesn't want him but flies into a jealous rage when anyone looks at him. She doesn't want anyone else to have him either, selfish manipulative little bitch.'_

Ukyo could feel the anger course through her body like a soothing balm as she whipped out a seafood special she knew Ranma would like. After placing the pizza in a box, she packed up her grill and started walking over towards the group of girls and thought, "_I can't try my special okinomiyaki on him now as there are too many other girls in the vicinity to risk it. That doesn't mean I can't offer him some free food and remind him that I'm the "cute" fiancée though. Maybe he'll be willing to come to Ucchan's later and I can talk some sense into him._'

* * *

><p>"Oh no", Sayuri groaned as she face palmed.<p>

"What's wrong?", Ranma and Akane asked at the same time and looked at one another before giggling softly.

"Ukyo's coming over here", Yuka replied as she too groaned at the coming interruption. At this point even Kuno would be more welcomed because at least then the two martial artist would get rid of him quickly and painfully. Plus, it amused them when he tried to use his outdated poetry on their friends. Half the time he sounded like an idiot and the other half a complete moron.

Ranma shrugged and held up her hands as she said, "Well, I don't think I would do to well on the piano with these. I'd rather play something that I didn't have to breath for so that eliminates the woodwinds and brass. What does that leave?"

"Given your size", Sayuri mused out loud, "I would think either guitar or the violin. The bass, cello and viola would all be too large for you I think."

"Of course, you could take up painting, sculpture, woodworking or any number of things", Yuka interjected.

"The whole world is out there for you to explore", Akane replied and decided to twist the knife a little knowing Ukyo was about to arrive by grabbing her girlfriend's hand into her own. Yuka and Sayuri's eyebrows rose but when they noticed how close Ukyo was they nodded in understanding and smirked at the coming entertainment.

Ukyo walked up, oblivious for the moment and said pleasantly, "Hi girls, hi Ranchan. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Yes", all four girls said dismissively and scowled at the interruption.

"I've done enough carpentry work to last a lifetime so I think I'll pass on that", Ranma replied as she paid the chef no more mind. "No, I'm going to give music a try since I like listening to it so much. Actually it's like martial arts...", the other three girls face palmed while Ukyo looked confused, "I feel a sense of accomplishment when I create a kata from scratch and perfect it as opposed to just learning one from someone else. If I could make my own music..."

Understanding dawned in the other girls' eyes and they nodded as Akane looked thoughtful. She had never really created anything in her life except for biological weaponry in the kitchen when she really messed up trying to cook something. As creative and adaptive a person as Ranma was, she could see her wanting to create her own music as well as play what others had written. It was perfect and it would enable her to pursue something worthwhile that didn't involve fighting.

"Hey Ranma", Ukyo started only to be glared at by the other four girls sitting near her. She continued undaunted, "I made a seafood special for you if you want it."

"No thanks", Ranma replied and waved dismissively before returning her attention to her girlfriend and two new friends. The other three looked at her strangely as it was nearly unheard of for Ranma to refuse free food.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Ranma?", Ukyo demanded as she unsheathed her battle spatula and took a ready stance.

"Put that away before you hurt yourself again Kuonji", Ranma said coldly as she turned to glare at the okinomiyaki chef.

"Again?", Yuka and Sayuri asked in unison.

The red-head nodded and said, "Last Tuesday she tried to attack Nabiki and I put her in the school wall." She turned her attention back to her ex-friend and said, "Last warning Kuonji, I'm done playing around with you, Shampoo and Kodachi. You never had a chance to be my wife in the first place. I never saw you as anything but a friend or a sister at best and that was before you attacked Nabiki and Kasumi." Yuka and Sayuri gasped in shock and glared at the chef. Nabiki they didn't have much sympathy for but Kasumi? "Now, I never want to see you again and if you try to harm anyone I care about, I'll bury you in the wall next time. Do I make myself clear?"

"This isn't over", Ukyo seethed. "You owe me! Your piece of shit father took my dowry and I lost my womanhood because of that. I have more claim to you as your fiancée than Akane does, and certainly more than the Chinese hussy or that insane girl."

"I don't owe you anything Kuonji", Ranma replied calmly from her seated position still holding her girlfriend's hand. A fact not lost on the ranting and raving chef who towered over the four seated girls. "Pop is a thief and con artist and he's the one that stole your father's yatai. I had nothing to do with it so take it up with him if you care so much. As for your lost womanhood that's a joke right? You're still a girl and all of your parts are intact correct? No, if anyone's lost their manhood or womanhood it would be me when I picked up this curse, not that I mind anymore but I certainly did then. As for the last part, you have no claim whatsoever and neither does anyone else. I'm not a prize to be won and I refuse to become one. As far as I'm concerned, I have no fiancées and I refuse to honor any of the agreements my deceitful father made. I'm not with Akane because of obligation. I'm with her because I want to be and I love her. Face it Kunoji, you lost before the competition even started."

"I love you too Ranma", Akane said softly as she gently squeezed the smaller girl's hand really wishing she could do something more especially in front of Ukyo to really twist the knife.

"Tell me something", Ranma said in the same irritatingly calm and gentle voice, "You believe that I, or at least my family, owes you something right?"

"You know damn well you do", Ukyo yelled as she tightened her grip on the battle spatula.

"Shall we tally up what each of us owes the other?" the red-head asked pleasantly as she raised an eyebrow at the chef. "Let's see, Pop stole your yatai. You chose to gave up your femininity so don't even think of charging us for that..."

"I didn't give it up voluntarily!", Ukyo shouted, now drawing the attention of more students in the courtyard. "My father legally changed me into a boy!"

"That's on him then", Ranma replied, "That has nothing to do with me or my family. Why do you insist on blaming me for everything when in fact I had nothing to do with any of it? I thought you were a boy when we met as children and fought for your father's okinomiyaki. I just happened to win most of the time. You were the one that allowed your father to change you into a boy, at least legally. Be thankful he didn't drag you to Jusenkyo and do it for real. You have no idea what it really means to lose your femininity or masculinity."

Yuka, Sayuri and Ukyo shuddered at the mention of Jusenkyo and nodded slowly as Ranma continued, "You were the one that spent ten years of your life living for revenge against a boy you barely knew. When you finally found me and lost after one lousy fight, you dropped the vendetta pretty quickly because I accidentally called you cute."

"Accidentally?", Ukyo asked softly as her grip on the baker's peel lessoned and the weapon dropped to the ground.

"Yes, accidentally", the Saotome heiress said. "At the time, I was always calling Akane uncute even though it was the opposite of how I really felt about her. Well, guess what, you're the uncute one now and I mean it. Akane is my beautiful girlfriend that I love and no one else can possibly compare to her in my heart."

"Thank you Ranma", Akane said as she blushed and squeezed her girlfriend's hand. She longed to grab the smaller girl and kiss her passionately but knew she couldn't do that, not there with so many people watching. Even if Ranma was male at the time she couldn't do that. '_I'll have to show her my appreciation later._'

"Now that we've tallied up your grievances", Ranma said steely as her tone hardened, "Shall we add up my family's against you? Let's start with the fact that you destroyed my mother's house looking to steal something of importance to our family. Never mind that it was a medicine box and not the engagement ring you thought it was. The point is you destroyed my home trying to commit grand larceny. If that wasn't enough, and believe me it is to land you in prison for awhile, you decided to destroy the Tendo's dojo and ruin my wedding..."

"You wanted to go through with that?", Ukyo asked softly.

"It doesn't matter if we did or didn't", the red-head growled angrily. "You endangered a lot of innocent people in your recklessness when you threw those explosives around like that..."

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone", the okinomiyaki chef protested quietly as she bowed her head in shame, "I just wanted to stop the wedding."

"Irrelevant. It doesn't matter what you intended to do. It matters only what you did", The Saotome heiress said calmly as she invoked her _Soul of Ice_ technique and kept her voice eerily stable. "Now, in time I may have been able to forgive those actions and consider you a friend again but no more. Your plans and actions have soured my opinion of you so much I don't think you're redeemable. Mom told me about your confrontation with her on Saturday. I've already stopped you from attacking Nabiki once. Konatsu told me how he stopped you from attacking Kasumi. He also told me all about your okinomiyaki plot to drive Akane and me apart only to try to steal me for yourself. How pathetic you've become sinking to Shampoo's level of treachery. I expected better from you Kuonji but I guess I was wrong. Some friend you turned out to be."

Ranma reached into her bag and clicked off a tape recorder before continuing, "I suggest you leave now before I decide to bury you in a wall anyway and haul your pathetic unconscious ass down to the police station. I'm done with you."

"Ranchan please...", Ukyo said desperately as her eyes shimmered and tears rolled down her cheeks.

The red-head's _Soul of Ice_ shattered as she surged to her feet and grabbed the front of Ukyo's tunic in one hand and pulled the taller girl down so that the two of them were at eye level. Ranma felt her Ki burn from within and her fist burst into flame as she snarled, "No! Get this through your fucking head once and for all. I am done with you and if you so much as try to harm one person I care about..."

Akane gasped in horror when she saw the dark aura explode around her girlfriend wreathing her body in a deep red flame with a black core. She shuddered as a bone-chilling feeling passed through her and remembered how she felt when hers had appeared. Yuka and Sayuri gasped, having seen one of Akane's dark auras before and backed away in terror. Onlookers of the spectacle, including Nabiki herself, gasped and looked at Ranma in shock and fear.

Ukyo spared a brief glance at the flaming fist that was ready to launch her Kami only knew where before returning her gaze to the irate red-head in front of her. Searching her former fiancé's stormy blue eyes she saw only the promise of death behind the anger. She hung her head and sighed, knowing there was no hope now. Ranma, the boy she thought she knew eleven years previous was gone, consumed by the furious red haired vengeful angel holding her fate in her tiny hands.

The youngest Tendo slowly stood up, walked up behind her girlfriend and put a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder as she said softly, "Ranma my love, please, let her go. She's not worth losing yourself over. Please, release her and come back to me."

Almost instantly the dark aura disappeared as well as the flaming fist. Ranma released Ukyo before turning around and burying her face into her girlfriend's shoulder. Akane wrapped her arms around the other girl's back and rubbed it gently as she attempted to soothe the red-head's emotional maelstrom. She felt Ranma's smaller frame shudder and her shoulder was soaked with the red-head's tears in seconds. She lifted her head towards the okinomiyaki chef and said softly but firmly, "Ukyo, I suggest you leave now. It's over."

Ukyo nodded numbly and picked up her battle spatula before slowly walking out of the school gates presumably to return to her restaurant. After the chef was gone, the embracing couple collapsed onto the ground still holding on to one another. Akane continued to gently soothe her girlfriend as Yuka and Sayuri crouched down and encircled their new friend in their arms to offer their comfort and support as well.

Onlookers gradually returned to whatever it was they were doing before the spectacle had started while the three girls continued to shower the fourth with love, friendship and soothing words. Nabiki was curious as to what had sparked the initial outrage but knew now was definitely not the time to find out. She would have to ask them later, perhaps at dinner. In the meantime, there was potential damage control to be done with their pending lawsuit. She had already seen how effective the Furinkan boycott was as no one had bought a single okinomiyaki the entire time Ukyo had set up her grill on the grounds. Her spies had informed her that Ucchan's had been fairly empty during the evening rush for the last week as well.

'_Perhaps Ukyo is getting a little desperate_', Nabiki thought to herself as she smirked and wandered around the grounds for a bit. '_Her restaurant is going under and she knows she's losing, or I guess lost now, her relationship with Ranma. He doesn't even want her as a friend anymore. We'll have to slap her with the lawsuit in the next day or two before she flees the city. I hope for her sake she doesn't do anything rash but who knows._'

For the next several minutes Ranma remained crouched on the ground enfolded in her girlfriend's loving embrace. She continued to release her mental anguish into the taller girl's uniform blouse, soaking it completely. Yuka and Sayuri were behind her offering words of encouragement trying to put their emotionally fragile friend back together. It was sort of like that English nursery rhyme Miss Hinako had them learn a few weeks back.

_Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall_

_Humpty Dumpty had a great fall_

_All the King's horses and all the King's men_

_Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again_

"I thought...", Ranma choked out between sobs, "I thought we could be friends again... She had to realize I never loved her, why did she have to push and scheme? Why couldn't she just let me go?"

"Shh Ranma", Akane said softly as she continued to rub the girl's back. "I know you wanted her to be your friend but I have to wonder if she ever really was."

"What do you mean?", the red-head said as she pulled back and looked into the Tendo girl's warm chocolate eyes as tears continued to run down her cheeks.

Sayuri tapped her chin with her forefinger and said thoughtfully, "I think what she means is when your father took her cart she probably felt dishonored. Based on what she said about her father legally changing her to a boy confirms that. Then she essentially wasted ten years of her life training to beat you only to lose in one match rather handily. Since she couldn't kill you, nor did she really want to I suspect, in order to regain her honor she tried to get you to marry her by being the "cute" fiancée. She tried to bribe you with free food and other tricks to get you choose her. A real friend wouldn't act that way."

"Look at Akane, despite the rocky relationship you two have always had until recently, you've always been there for one another through thick and thin. She never pressured you to choose her as your fiancée. In fact, you both fought that tooth and nail. Akane has been your friend for quite awhile now and you've been hers. You two certainly had a weird way of showing it, but when it mattered the most, it was obvious that you two cared for one another."

"She's right honey", Akane said as she wiped some of the tears that were dripping down the red-head's cheeks. She smiled warmly before leaning forward and slow kissed her girlfriend softly on the lips, holding it for several moments. They felt the warmth of each other's spirits pass between their lips and into their bodies as they melted into one another.

Yuka and Sayuri were stunned at their friend's audacity and gasped as they asked, "Akane, what are you doing?"

"I'm helping my boyfriend, who's also my girlfriend at the moment feel a little better", Akane replied as she lovingly caressed Ranma's soft cheeks which turned crimson as she blushed. "I love Ranma, whether he is a she or she is a he doesn't really matter to me. I love the soul within. Now, generally we try not to show too much affection in public regardless of what form she's in because it isn't particularly proper and we don't want everyone to know just how well we're getting along these days. In this instance though, I know she needs to feel loved and I'm willing to help any way that I can."

"I love you Akane, thank you", Ranma whispered as she buried her head into her girlfriend's shoulder again.

"I love you too Ranma", the youngest Tendo replied as she embraced her red-head again.

"Okay", Yuka said slowly as she nodded her head, "I don't think anyone saw you since we're blocking the view and you've been hugging for quite awhile now anyway. I guess that answers another question I had about you two though."

"What question was that?", Akane asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I wondered if you two were intimate with one another as girls", Yuka replied as she blushed and looked away suddenly finding the ground very interesting to look at.

"We haven't had sex or anything like that if that's what you mean", Akane replied, blushing furiously herself as she continued, "We've only hugged, kissed with tongue and done over the clothes platonic massages so far. When we went camping this weekend we didn't bathe together or watch each other change. We're taking things slowly as the relationship is new to both of us and we don't want to ruin anything by going too fast."

Yuka and Sayuri nodded their heads as Sayuri said, "I really need to find myself a boyfriend. That kiss you two shared was so incredibly hot and I want someone I can share that with."

Yuka nodded her head in agreement and asked, "Are you two going to go to the Valentine's Day Dance?"

Ranma pulled back and said softly, "I'd really like to. Of course I'll go as a guy so Akane doesn't look like a lesbian. Chances are I'll get splashed sometime in the night so I'll be there as a girl too. Akane will be the one wearing the dress though."

The other girls laughed quietly and the four of them separated from one another now that it appeared that Ranma was alright. They talked until the lunch bell rang signaling that it was time to go back to class. The four girls packed up their bags and returned to the second floor before walking into the bathroom so that Ranma could clean herself up. None of the other girls even thought to make a peep about there being a "boy" in their restroom. Most of the school had seen the dark aura and subsequent meltdown of the cursed red haired firecracker and figured they could let it slide for once.

A few minutes later, Ranma and Akane shared one last platonic hug before separating to go to their sixth period class. The real girls, Yuka, Sayuri and Akane all went down the hall to their Home Economics classroom while Ranma, still in her girl form, walked back to homeroom for study hall. Given how much homework she had missed recently, it would be time well spent for once.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._

_Originally I was going to wait until the second arc to try this, but I think I'll start now instead. I've decided I'm going to try to limit my chapters to about 10k and see if it helps the pace of the story any. It'll certainly help me getting the chapters done faster. _

_I apologize for the tardiness of this update but this is probably the fourth time I've written this chapter. I wasn't happy with the earlier incarnations and rather than post and redo like I did chapter 4, I decided to try a few times until I was sure I was happy with it. Enjoy!_

_I know the girls have a different curriculum than the boys but I have no idea what Ranma would have when they had Home Ec. I just decided to use Study Hall which was an option when I was in High School. _


	10. Shattering of the Second Wall

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Nine

_Shattering of the Second Wall _

.

.

Ukyo trudged down the road with a heavy heart. Her last hopes of salvaging anything resembling a relationship with Ranma turned to ash around her. What reason did she have to stay in Nerima now? Her business was crumbling, probably in retaliation because of her misguided attack on Nabiki the previous Tuesday. As if that wasn't bad enough, she had wanted to inflict bodily harm on Kasumi, the kindest and most gentle creature to ever walk the wretched world. It was little wonder Nerima as well as Ranma himself were turning their backs on her. She had dug her own grave without even realizing it. She knew she had to apologize and make amends, but would anyone believe her? Would they be willing to listen long enough to hear her heart-felt apology?

The okinomiyaki chef changed course and headed for the park instead of her restaurant. There was no way she could fake a smile long enough to greet a customer, assuming any showed up, long enough to do any good. She needed to clear her head and the park was serene enough for the task.

'_I can't believe I wanted to attack Kasumi_', the brown haired girl thought to herself as she hung her head in shame. '_Konatsu was right to stop me. I have been wrong about so many things lately in my desperation to win Ranma for myself. He's right, he's not a prize to be won like a carnival game. He's a living and breathing person with his own desires._'

Ukyo arrived at the park and sat down on a bench and stared into the fountain in front of her. As she sat there, she decided to try something that had never occurred to her before, to see things from Ranma's perspective and buried her head in her arms as tears filled her brown eyes.

'_Okay_', the chef mused, '_I'm Ranma. I've just been taken away from my mother and have had to put up with an abusive father doing all sorts of horrible things to me in the name of training._'

Ukyo shuddered when she recalled some of the horror stories her ex-fiancé had told her about. The way his father had thrown a six year old Ranma off a roof in order to teach him proper falling and the subsequent bone fractures that resulted from that. He often had to fight for scraps of food if Genma had thought to allow him to eat at all. It was day after day of constant abuse in one form or another. If the panda wasn't making Ranma haul boulders uphill for kilometers at a time or practically drowning him in freezing water so he could theoretically hold his breath longer, Genma constantly degraded him in both public and private.

'_Finally we meet_', the chef thought as she dried her eyes. '_His first and last friend for years. We we're six, of course he had no concept of love and marriage. He's barely able to understand the concept now, eleven years later. He was probably just glad I didn't torture him and offered him something he had no experience with that didn't cause him pain. My revenge was misplaced for all of those years and only that lying and cheating fleabag deserves my retribution. Ranma's right, he wasn't to blame for what happened between my father and me._'

She sorted through her memories of what had happened since she arrived for her vengeance. She was so blind believing Ranma owed her something that she schemed and lied to break him and Akane up, not that they were a couple at the time anyway. Using her okinomiyaki skills, the chef tried to bribe him with free food but the whole time he never saw her as anything more than a friend. Ukyo realized she, along with so many others, had kept pushing and pulling at him it was a wonder he hadn't snapped sooner.

'_I won't push you anymore Ranma_', Ukyo thought to herself as she lifted her head and stared into the fountain again. '_I'm giving up on you as a fiancée and will work hard to earn your trust enough again so that we can be friends, if you'll give me a second chance. If not, I understand considering everything I've done to you over the last year or so, especially lately. I'm sorry Ranchan..._'

The brown haired young woman buried her head in her hands again and didn't bother to fight the tears that spilled out of her brown eyes and fell down her cheeks only to splatter onto the uncaring ground.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kasumi and Konatsu were walking side by side through Nerima park when they stopped near the fountain. They looked at the downed chef with sadness in their eyes and despite their problems with the girl lately, decided to walk over and see what was the matter. Neither the eldest Tendo daughter nor the kunoichi were vindictive people and were actually pretty eager to try to put the previous Saturday's events behind them so they could at least be civil with one another.<p>

"Ukyo?", Kasumi said hesitantly as she leaned over and tapped the chef on the shoulder.

The chef looked up through shimmering eyes and jumped a little in surprise to see Kasumi so close to her. She noticed her ex-employee hovering nearby and wondered what the two of them were doing out together. "Kasumi..."

"Are you alright?", the elder Tendo asked gently as she noticed the multiple tear stains on the other girl's face.

"No", Ukyo said as she buried her head in her hands again, "I'm probably the last person you want to talk to though considering my actions on Saturday. I don't know what came over me. I'm so so sorry I tried to take my frustrations out on you. I don't deserve your forgiveness and you were right in what you said about me and my motivations for wanting Ranma. It's so obvious how much he loves your little sister I can't believe I didn't see it all this time."

Kasumi had sat down next to the chef when she had first said 'no' and listened to the girl talk. When she was finished, she wrapped and arm around Ukyo's back in comfort and said, "I forgive you Ukyo. It's human nature to act strange when you're in love, or think you're in love with someone that doesn't share your feelings. Everyone always told me how Dr. Tofu acted completely different when I wasn't around, dare I say like a normal person. I confirmed it myself a few times before he left by watching him interact with other people when he wasn't aware I was watching. I think he may have been in love with me and that's why he acted like such a clown. He was too old for me though and while it's true that I do like older men, ten years is a bit too much."

"Are you and Konatsu dating?", Ukyo asked as she looked up at the kunoichi and then at the eldest Tendo daughter.

"No", Kasumi replied as she shook her head missing the brief look of relief on Ukyo's face. "I offered him a place to stay after you threw him out of your restaurant as thanks for stopping your attack. Since then we've gotten to know one another but I wouldn't say that we're dating yet. We're just friends for the moment taking a stroll through the park. It's such a beautiful day outside don't you think?"

"I hadn't really noticed actually", the chef replied as she wiped more tears from her eyes and cast another look at her ex-employee. Konatsu was wearing one of Ranma's Chinese outfits. The blue shirt and black pants looked really strange on him but not in a bad way. She was used to seeing him in a kimono so anything resembling masculine attire would be weird on the cross dressing ninja in her mind. Still, he was handsome despite his more feminine traits and wondered if perhaps the two of them could be friends again.

"Konatsu", Ukyo said slowly with a hint of a smile on her lips. "I owe you an apology for my mistreatment of you, not just Saturday, but ever since you arrived in Nerima. I have been treating you almost like a slave offering you peanuts instead of a real salary and I'm sorry. You're welcome to come back to Ucchan's anytime if you want to. I know it's pretty crowded over at the Tendo's right now with Ranma and his parents living there as well."

"Thank you for your offer Ukyo", Konatsu replied as he bowed slightly, "However, for the time being I shall decline unless...", and at this he turned to Kasumi with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't be silly Konatsu", Kasumi interjected teasingly. "I'm not going to throw you out. You may stay with us, go back to Ukyo's or wherever you want. I'll respect your decision either way but if you do leave, I want to thank you for brightening up my day as much as you have while you've been with us."

"Then I shall remain at the Tendos for the time being", the kunoichi continued as he returned his attention to the chef who was still sitting on the park bench.

Ukyo nodded her head and said, "If my business ever picks up again, will you consider coming back to work for me?"

"Perhaps", Konatsu replied guardedly as he knew all about the boycotts on Ucchan's and the Nekohanten. Things were going well and it looked like Ukyo would be out of business soon. He glanced over at Kasumi with a question in his eyes and the older girl looked thoughtful for a moment before mouthing, "Later." He nodded his head and turned back towards the chef, hoping that they could drop the lawsuits and boycott on his ex-employer. While her apologies hadn't erased the damage and some of the bad blood between her and the Tendos, it was a step in the right direction he was glad to see from the chef. Perhaps they didn't need to destroy her financially and drive her out of town after all. Perhaps both sides could forgive the other and they could become friends again.

Ukyo stood up from the park bench and said, "Well, I should probably get back to my shop and see if I can't salvage anything today. Thank you talking to me and I hope in time you'll both forgive me. I was wrong, I realize that now and I wish to make amends, somehow."

"Thank you Ukyo", Kasumi replied as she offered the younger girl a friendly hug. The action surprised the chef but she found herself folding into the motherly woman's embrace for a few moments before separating. "Why don't you come by the house later this week so we can straighten everything out?"

"Um, I don't know if I should unless Ranma won't be there. He told me in no uncertain terms today that he never wanted to see me again", she replied as she looked down at the ground and tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Don't worry about Ranma", the elder Tendo daughter said gently as she rested a hand on Ukyo's arm. "I'll talk to him."

"If you're sure...", Ukyo replied trailing off. Kasumi and Konatsu both nodded their heads as they started to walk away.

Ukyo watched the 'couple' and sighed as she headed for her restaurant, wondering the whole time how she would salvage the mess she had managed to make for everyone. It was comforting to know that both Kasumi and Konatsu didn't hold a grudge against her and had forgiven her horrible actions. She arrived at her restaurant and unlocked the door before snapping on the light and walking inside. The chef sighed and fired up the grill, just in case someone wanted an okinomiyaki for a late lunch other than herself.

* * *

><p>Kodachi Kuno was bored as she sat in her final class for the afternoon. She idly picked at her desk with her perfectly manicured fingernails trying to distract herself from the monster headache she had been nursing for days now. It didn't seem to matter how many aspirins she took, the throbbing would not leave her alone. Wednesday after school, Tatewaki had strutted around the mansion boasting that he had finally driven off the evil Saotome and that his loves were finally free. Frankly, she didn't know what her brother saw in red harridan and that peasant Tendo girl but she was depressed to learn that her love was gone, possibly forever. She had retreated to her greenhouse for solace and had fallen unconscious from breathing in too many fumes. One of her servants found her and put her in bed. An unknown number of hours later she woke up with the same splitting headache she was still feeling, days later.<p>

If Kodachi was more liked, her classmates might actually have shown some concern for the aristocratic girl. She was a lot paler than usual and her skin looked clammy. The gymnast hadn't really eaten much in days and she looked like she was barely alive. As it was, most of them would be happy to see her disappear forever and the few that tolerated her were kept in check by heated glares from the others. Kodachi was alone, despite being surrounded by people.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day, she screamed in pain as the sound tore through her ears and magnified her already severe headache so much she thought her head would explode. Her classmates didn't even give her a glance as they filed out of the classroom leaving her to whimper in the dark for a few minutes.

A few minutes later, she begrudgingly climbed out of her desk and walked outside. The gymnast needed to find something to do to take her mind off Ranma and took the rooftops as she wandered around town. Perhaps she could find someone interesting who would distract her enough so she wouldn't even think about Ranma anymore. Someone that was strong, handsome and would actually appreciate her quirks instead of calling her insane or crazy all of the time. She knew she was different but largely misunderstood. She wasn't insane, not like her brother and father were.

* * *

><p>Ranma sighed as he leaned against his locker and avoided looking around inside the men's locker room. He was trying to decide if the ominous feeling in his gut was warning him from taking a shower that afternoon or not. He was already feeling stressed out from the confrontation with Ukyo at lunch and really didn't want to deal with a bunch of perverts trying to get a free look at his girl form. He looked around the room trying to ascertain whether any of the boys were planning on ambushing him with cold water and shook his head.<p>

'_I can just take a bath at home_', he mused as he grabbed his bag and walked towards the door.

"Hey Ranma, where are you going?", Daisuke asked as he was about to take off his shirt.

"Yeah man, aren't you going to shower?", another boy asked, a little too eagerly he thought.

"Nah", Ranma replied with a grin. "I can just go home and not have to worry about any of you perverts splashing me so you can ogle my girl form."

"Like we would do that", Hiroshi replied defensively as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know you would", Ranma snorted in irritation. "Despite knowing I'm a guy you all still drool over me. It's creepy and I already have enough to deal with this week to add bashing your skulls in to the mix. See you guys tomorrow."

The pony tailed martial artist sighed as he leaned up against the wall next to the locker room and shook his head. Then he remembered he was supposed to meet the girls afterwards so they could walk to the ice cream parlor together. He was about to walk back into the locker room to change when he heard someone call out to him.

"Hey Ranma", Akane yelled as she, Yuka and Sayuri walked over to him from their locker room.

"Hiya", he replied and then looked thoughtful for a moment and shook his head. There was no way the girls would go for it, but he really didn't want to have to deal with the boys either.

"You aren't ready to go", Sayuri said flatly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought we agreed this would be a girls' outing."

"Sorry", Ranma replied sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders. "The boys were planning on splashing me for a cheap thrill. Given the day I've had so far I really don't want to have to deal with that." The Saotome heir scratched the back of his neck and said hesitantly, "Would it be alright if I used the girls' locker room for today? Assuming no one else is still in there of course."

The girls looked at one another uncomfortably for a few moments as they quietly discussed it amongst themselves before turning back towards the black haired boy and nodded reluctantly. The four teenagers walked over to the other locker room and Akane went inside to make absolutely sure it was empty. She came back out and grabbed her boyfriend's hand in order to drag him into the changing room. Yuka and Sayuri smiled at the display and stood guard outside the door in order to keep anyone else from entering.

* * *

><p>Inside, Ranma looked around the room for a towel he could use when Akane wrapped her arms around his muscular chest and laid her head against his back. The couple just stood there for a few moments and sighed in contentment. Her nose wrinkled as she breathed in the scent of the man in front of her. Ranma too breathed in his girlfriend's unique, and noticeably fresher scent and placed his larger hands over hers.<p>

"This is nice", Akane said she pressed her breasts into her boyfriend's back as she rose on her toes and kissed the back of his neck softly. "However, the other girls are waiting for us so shower quickly and meet us outside alright?"

"Okay", Ranma replied as the slender arms disappeared from around his chest and the sound of her footfalls receded as she walked towards the door. He looked around one last time hoping it wasn't some practical joke before stripping off his clothes and jumping into the communal shower area. He turned on the hot water spigot expecting to take a fairly pleasant shower before splashing himself with some cold water in order to change into his girl form. What he got instead was a freezing blast of water immediately.

"Aiieeeee, that's cold", the red-head screamed in her soprano voice as she leapt out of the water. She looked closer and she had in fact turned on the hot water. Shutting off the spigot, she tried the other one and it was just as cold.

Ranma frowned as she turned back on the 'hot' water spigot and said, "I guess that's one way to encourage the girls to take quick showers. I wonder if the boy's side has hot water or if all of those perverts were just waiting for me to try to shower in there. They wouldn't have even had to try anything either."

After letting the water run for a few minutes and found that there was no noticeable increase in temperature, the Saotome heiress sighed and began soaping up her body. While she stood there, the red-head began thinking about how it might feel if Akane was the one guiding the soap over her generous breasts, through her cleavage down to her abdomen and delicately across her womanhood. She felt a slight tingling sensation awaken inside of her as her hands slowly spread over her erogenous zones and she moaned softly at the sensation. How easy would it be to slip a couple of her fingers inside her womanhood and pleasure herself as she thought about the beautiful tomboy that was waiting outside. She shook her head at the thought as she moved her hand away from her womanhood and sighed. It was getting harder and harder not to give in to her body's cravings. She was too horny for her own good but at least as a woman she could hide it better than if she were a guy.

She walked back into the stream of cold water and rinsed herself off before turning off the spigot and stepping into the changing area in order to pick up the towel Akane had left for her. She dried herself off and was pleased to note that her nipples had softened back to a non-aroused state and smiled. It was bad enough they stuck out underneath the thin Chinese pseudo-silk as it was when she went braless, she really didn't need them sticking out even further advertising to the world she was horny. It wasn't quite as obvious as her pants tenting when she was a guy but it was bad enough. She redressed quickly and walked outside to meet her girlfriend and two new friends.

"Ah, there you are", Sayuri said with a smirk on her lips. "Did you enjoy your freezing shower?"

"Not really no", Ranma replied softly. "Is the hot water broken or was it like that only for me?"

"It wasn't just you", Akane said quietly and then looked thoughtful as she asked, "Do you know if the hot water works in the boy's locker room?"

"I didn't test it, but we could probably find out really quick", the red-head replied.

"We?", the three other girls wrinkled their noses in distaste. "We're not going in there, gross."

Ranma giggled slightly and nodded as she walked towards the boy's locker room and said, "If it's broken in here too, I'll have to forgo showers at school for awhile. I don't think I should be asking to use the girl's every day and showering in there with _them_ is out of the question. Thankfully it's our last class this term so it's not a huge deal to wait until going home or something."

Yuka, Sayuri and Akane all nodded at that and waited for Ranma to come back from her little experiment. About a minute later she came back with a sour expression on her face which told the girls everything they needed to know. The quartet then left the school grounds and headed for the ice cream parlor as they had discussed at the end of lunch. While she didn't act like it, the other three girls knew that the confrontation with Ukyo was still bothering their red-headed friend and thought ice cream would cheer her up like it usually did.

* * *

><p>Kodachi leapt from one building to another as she headed for the Tendo household. While small when compared to her own luxurious mansion, it was of decent size and could be considered a castle among peasantry. The Kuno daughter frowned that she might have to deal with the irritating youngest Tendo but perhaps she could find out where Ranma was or when he might be back. It was worth a shot since she had no other information and didn't feel like skipping school to spy on the Furinkan peasants. Perhaps if the Tendos weren't forthcoming in their information she would resort to such a tactic the next day. As she hopped over one street she glanced down and stopped. Four girls were walking along idly chatting with one another. That in itself was only too common. It was two of the members of the group that struck her interest, the harridan and the Tendo peasant.<p>

She grinned and leapt down into the street in front of them as she howled in her maniacal laugh, "OH HO HO HO HO HO HO HO."

Ranma and Akane looked up to see a black haired girl wearing a brown jumper surrounded by swirling black rose petals falling towards them. They groaned in unison as they face palmed and backed away making sure Yuka and Sayuri were behind them.

"Well hello there peasants", Kodachi said condescendingly as she looked at the four girls in front of her like she would an insect. "Let's see, we have the little wanna be martial artist Akane Tendo and the red harridan. What my brother sees in either of you I'll never understand but you will not keep me from my darling Ranma-sama. Now, where have you spirited him away?"

"Why would we tell you where Ranma is?", Ranma asked as she cracked her knuckles feeling the need to pound on someone while Akane clenched her fists at being called a wanna be by someone who had never defeated her in combat. Yuka and Sayuri backed up, fairly certain that nothing short of fight was likely to happen with the crazed gymnast involved.

Kodachi eyed the red-head carefully before smirking as she leapt over the two martial artist in front of her and landing behind Yuka. She pulled out a spiked club and placed it against the brown haired girl's jugular vein. Yuka cried out as Ranma and Akane turned around and glared at the gymnast in disgust and loathing at the dishonorable tactic of using non-combatants as human shields and blackmail material.

"Stop right there or I spill this girl's blood", the crazy Kuno girl said darkly as her eyes glinted in malevolence. The two martial artist froze as they realized just how much danger Yuka was really in. Sayrui gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she felt the blood drain out of her face.

Ranma straightened up out of attack posture and asked, "What do you want that you're willing to spill an innocent's blood to get?"

"The same thing I've always wanted", Kodachi said with a evil grin on her face. "I want my Ranma darling."

"He isn't...", Akane started to shout when Ranma placed a hand on her arm and shook her head.

"Alright Kodachi", Ranma said tiredly. "If you release Yuka I promise on my honor as a martial artist that I will deliver Ranma to you this evening." Kodachi's eyes lit up and she nearly cut Yuka's neck in her excitement. "However", the red-head continued darkly, "I will not be strong-armed into anything else. After tonight, if you come after my friends or family ever again I will kill you, do you understand?"

"Yes yes, of course you will", Kodachi sneered as she waved her spiked mace a little closer to her hostage's neck. "Do you really think it's wise to threaten me when I can kill your friend before you even move? Would you sacrifice her life trying to end mine?"

"Do we have a deal or not?", the Saotome heiress said impatiently. "Yuka now in return for Ranma later?"

"Why don't you bring him to me now?", Kodachi asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"How am I supposed to do that? You really think I'm going to leave while you're threatening to kill my friend?", Ramna demanded as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Simple", the crazed gymnast said in irritation as she tightened her hold on Yuka's wrist that was pinned behind her back. "We stay here while the Tendo peasant fetches Ranma from wherever you two have hidden him.

"Hmm, very well", Ranma replied and Akane shot her girlfriend a strange look. "Akane, would you please get Ranma for me? He's probably taking a hot bath right now. Seeing how important this is, I think my brother would be willing to come help."

Understanding dawned in the raven haired girl's brown eyes and she nodded before running home for a kettle. Yuka and Sayuri were too frightened to process much of anything but even through their clouded minds they understood what Ranma had planned. Everyone in Nerima that had ever heard of him was aware of the curse he was under except, somehow, the Kuno children. Now, Ranma was going to show Kodachi once and for all that the black haired boy she loved and the red haired girl she hated so much were in fact the same person. What Ranma really hoped to accomplish wasn't quite clear unless he hoped that the gymnast's hatred of the 'red harridan' would override her love and obsession for his male form.

"Brother you say?", Kodachi said uncertainly as she looked at the red head more intently. "You sleep with your own brother?"

"Eww gross", Ranma said in disgust as she felt some of her lunch making a move. "What on earth gave you the idea that he and I are involved like that?"

"You keep him away from me, if not for the reason that you want to keep him for yourself, then why?", the black haired girl replied as if there weren't other reasons to keep the two apart.

"Kodachi", the Saotome heiress said slowly. "I would gladly talk to you about this when you aren't holding my friend hostage. You know it's not too late to stop this. Do you really want this girl's blood on your hands? Do you really want to become a murderess because you think you're in love with a boy you barely know? Please, let her go. We can talk this out like women rather than barbarous thugs."

"I know my Ranma darling loves me. It's you and that Tendo peasant that always come between us and keeps me away from my beloved", Kodachi said as her eyes alit with fire and she moved her spiked club closer.

"How could you possibly know how he feels?", Ranma asked as she spread her hands in front of her plaintively. "Do you know what love is Kodachi? You claim you are in love with Ranma and that he loves you, but do you understand what love really is?"

"Of course I know what love is. I'm not stupid!", the gymnast snarled angrily.

Ranma shook her head and closed her eyes for a second as she said, "Honestly I don't think you do. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

"What nonsense is that?", Kodachi asked, her eyes getting wilder as she grew tired of waiting for Akane to return with Ranma and for the red head to shut up.

"Kodachi", the pony tailed martial artist said softly, "I just told you what love is and you aren't showing any of those traits. You're impatient and being unkind to Yuka. You're definitely prideful, jealous and would like nothing more than to show Ranma off as your trophy. You're using a noncombatant as leverage which is dishonorable and self-seeking. I don't think I need to tell you that you're angry and delighting in evil as you try to mask the truth you know deep within your heart. The truth is that you hate yourself and aren't anything like you used to be nor who you want to be. Before you can love another, you need to learn how to love yourself. Ranma loves Akane more than anything else in the world and would gladly sacrifice everything for her."

Akane ran up at that moment with a kettle in hand and smiled as she caught the tail end of Ranma's speech.

"You promised me Ranma!", Kodachi growled angrily and she waved the spiked club in front when she noticed the peasant girl had only brought with her a kettle instead of the dashing young man she thought she was in love with. "You shall pay for your treachery with this girl's blood!"

"Kodachi no!", Ranma screamed as she lunged forward faster than the gymnast could react and twisted her wrist savagely. Kodachi felt the bones in her wrist break at the force and dropped the spiked club as she screamed in pain and collapsed on her knees. Akane quickly grabbed Yuka and dragged the shell-shocked girl away from Ranma and the Kuno girl.

"Listen to me very carefully Kodachi. I know you're smart enough to understand this", the Saotome heiress said as she gripped the gymnast's shattered wrist in a vice grip she was powerless to break free from. "I am Ranma. I have a curse that turns me into a girl when I am hit with cold water. Hot water returns me to my male form. Watch me very carefully and notice that my grip on your wrist remains relatively constant and understand that I'm not trying to trick you."

Akane walked over to the kettle and picked it up. Kodachi watched as the red head standing in front of her became the dashing young man she had wanted to see all along and noted that the grip on her wrist remained constant. There was no denying it, the red harridan and the black haired boy were in fact the same person.

"Now, watch again", Ranma said in his male voice just before Akane dumped some cooler water over his head, transforming him once again into the short red haired girl. As before, the grip on her wrist remained unchanged. "Do you understand now?"

"You and him are the same?", Kodachi asked softly, thinking it was impossible for people to change genders.

"Akane, I don't think she's convinced yet", the Saotome heiress said as she motioned with her head towards the kettle.

The raven haired girl dumped some more of the hot water over her girlfriend and once again, Kodachi watched as the red haired girl she hated grow taller and into the handsome young man she had obsessed over for so long.

The gymnast looked up into the black haired boy's piercing blue eyes and asked weakly, "What are you really? My brother claims you are some sort of sorcerer that has ensnarled the pigtailed goddess and Akane under some sort of spell. Are you a man or are you a woman?"

"I'm both Kodachi", Ranma said gently without releasing his hostage as Akane dumped cooler water over her fiancé again. "If you mean what was I born as, I was born male. When I fell into the Nyannīchuan, or Spring of the Drowned Girl, I became both even though you would never have heard me admit to that until recently. I've come to the conclusion that I will never be cured but I'm okay with that."

"I'm not okay with this", the Kuno girl said slowly as once again the handsome young man was replaced by the buxom red head. "I cannot love a woman and even though you are both, I see you more as a woman than I do a man. Let me go and I will leave in peace."

Ranma nodded and released her hostage but prepared to jump in front of Yuka and Sayuri should the Kuno girl decide to break her word and attack.

"You know, it's funny Ranma", Kodachi said conversationally as she picked up her spiked club and put it away somewhere. "All this time my brother has been trying to date a man. I shall have to laugh at him at dinner tonight. In my defence, your curse is rather unbelievable and I never saw you change until now. I know my brother has witnessed your metamorphasis quite a few times and yet he cannot accept it. You were right when you said that I hated myself and who I've become. This has been quite a sobering experience but a necessary one I think. Do you think that some time in the future we could talk and become friends?"

"I don't know Kodachi", the red haired girl said hesitantly as Akane put a reassuring hand on her arm. "We'll see, how about that?"

"It'll do", the black haired girl said as she walked away, a lone tear running down her face as she felt her heart break.

Once the gymnast was gone, the four remaining girls looked at one another and sighed in relief. They huddled around Yuka and offered her words of encouragement and friendship as they comforted the poor girl from her harrowing experience. Yuka collapsed onto the ground and buried her head into Sayuri's shoulder as tears exploded out of her brown eyes and rolled down her cheeks. They remained in that position for quite awhile until she regained control of her emotions.

"I think we definitely need an ice cream sundae now", Ranma said as she licked her lips.

"Ranma...", Akane said warningly as she looked at her friend in concern. "I think Yuka just wants to go home."

"No", Yuka replied weakly as she smiled at the red head sitting in front of her. "Ranma's right. After the day we've had, ice cream is definitely needed."

Sayuri and Akane looked at their friend with a raised eyebrow and nodded. "Well then", Akane said cheerfully as she rose to her feet, "Let's go get some ice cream then!"

* * *

><p>The four girls laughed quietly and walked the remaining distance to the ice cream parlor and sat down in one of the booths. Akane and Ranma sat on one side while Yuka and Sayuri sat opposite them. They talked casually for a few minutes and ordered their chocolate sundaes when the waitress came by. While they waited for their orders to show up and as they ate, Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma got to know one another better and were on their way to becoming friends, something that made Akane happy as she looked from one girl to the next with a smile on her face.<p>

"Ranma, I know I said this earlier but I want to thank you for stopping Kodachi", Yuka said slowly as she smiled at her new friend.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry you had to go through that", Ranma replied as she looked down at the table and sighed. "I'm also sorry I took so long to disarm her."

"Don't be", the brown haired girl said as she placed a hand on top of the red head's. "She was holding that club pretty close to my neck. Maybe she would have been able to cut me before you disarmed her, maybe not. Honestly I'm glad you waited until you were sure when she held it out in front of us. I'm safe now enjoying ice cream with my friends instead of bleeding to death out on the sidewalk. Thank you."

"I'm still surprised she went that far", the Saotome heiress said as she shuddered briefly. "It was also strange how quickly she seemed to break free of her madness once my curse was revealed. She went from a homicidal maniac desperate to possess me to calm and wanting nothing to do with me romantically anymore."

"She's in shock Ranma", Akane said as she squeezed her girlfriend's hand for a few seconds. "Your curse really threw her for a loop and she was acting mostly on autopilot at the end there. I'm sure we'll see her crazy antics again soon enough once she's had time to sort through everything that happened."

"Oh I hope not", Ranma groaned as she banged her head on the table. "I don't want to ever see her ever again. I was trying to be diplomatic when she asked if we could talk later and if we could be friends."

"I know", the raven haired girl replied as she patted her girlfriend on the head which caused the other two girls to laugh quietly. "Poor Ranma..."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Shampoo paced back and forth inside the Nekohanten growing more frustrated with her great grandmother with each passing hour. Why did the old woman insist she stay there when they had very few customers? She could be doing something more productive like convincing her Airen she was by far the best choice of wives. She growled softly as she cleaned yet another unused table that had oddly been the norm for the last few days. Something had happened to drive the customers away but her Elder had forbidden her from leaving the restaurant to investigate. Though she would never admit it out loud, she started to miss Mousse's clumsy advances as well. As unwanted as they were, it made her feel desired. Now she just felt alone and it was not a feeling she cared for particularly.<p>

Growing up in the Amazon village she had never been alone for extended periods of time. Between her cousins and the other warrior girls around her age, there was always someone to fight with or talk to. She had been plenty busy training or being schooled in Amazon customs so she had very little free time. Here, in Japan, she was bored most of the time and her training had taken a serious hit. The lavender haired girl wondered idly if even the Tendo girl could give her a real fight now with how far she had let herself go. She scowled in annoyance and slammed a fist on a table breaking it in half. She would not lose to the Kitchen Destroyer, no way, no how.

"Shampoo!", Cologne's aged voice called out from the other side of the room. "What's the meaning of this?"

The Amazon girl looked at the shattered table and shrugged as she said, "Shampoo tired of being stuck in restaurant. Want to see Airen, want to go outside and do something other than sit here in stupid building all day cleaning same spots on tables. Shampoo tired of being waitress and not Amazon warrior!"

Cologne smiled slightly at the take charge attitude her great granddaughter was showing and nodded. "It's about time you stopped mopping around and started acting like your heritage again."

"Grandmother mean...", Shampoo started with wide eyes. All she had to do was stand up for herself and she could have left sooner?

The elder Amazon nodded with a twinkle in her eye and said, "I can certainly handle things here. Oh, while you're out if you happen to run into Mousse, tell him he's fired from the Nekohanten and banished from the Amazon tribes unless he comes back and starts acting like a proper Amazon male again. His behavior of late is unacceptable."

Shampoo smiled wickedly and nodded her head as she bounced up to her room and changed into one of her Chinese dresses. She loved the feeling of the silk on her body and admired herself in the mirror.

"How Airen not like these?", the lavender haired girl asked herself softly as she cupped her generous breasts, "or this", she indicated her entire body with a wave of her hand. "Shampoo much more beautiful than Crazy Girl, Spatula Girl and especially flat chested Pervert Girl. Shampoo just need open Airen's eyes, even with force if necessary."

She studied her reflection for a few more minutes before smiling to herself and left the restaurant in search of her elusive fiancé. She roof hopped across the Nerima skyline towards the Tendo's residence figuring Ranma had to be back from school by then.

* * *

><p>A little while later, the quartet left the ice cream parlor and walked Yuka home despite her protests that they really didn't need to guard her anymore. Secretly, she was glad to have them escort her and thanked them when they dropped her off. She waved good bye to her friends before Ranma and Akane accompanied Sayuri back to her house. They waved good bye to the reddish-brown haired girl.<p>

"I think you made quite the impression of them today Ranma, thank you", Akane said as they walked towards the Tendo residence after dropping Sayuri off.

"They're really nice girls. I'm glad you talked me into getting to know them", Ranma replied with a smile of her own. "I'd definitely like to have more friends, Kami knows how few I really have."

"Who do you consider your friend?", the raven haired girl asked as they continued to walk side by side.

"Pretty much just you Akane", the red haired girl said quietly. "I guess I have a few acquaintances but not really any friends. Unless Ukyo makes amends and stops trying to win me, I don't think I could ever consider her a friend again. Yuka and Sayuri I don't know well enough yet but I'd like to. I can do without Hiroshi and Daisuke's perverted conversations and won't miss that. I like Kasumi but I think of her as an older sister/mother, not really a friend. Despite your assurances, I'm still wary of Nabiki considering everything she's put us through."

"Ranma, you do realize that everyone you could consider a friend is a girl right?", Akane asked with light laugh as her eyes danced in amusement.

"I know", she replied somewhat distractedly, having noticed the trend earlier when she had thought about it during shop class after finishing her project. With the exception of Hiroshi and Daisuke, pretty much every guy she ever met tried to kill her at one point or another. Not exactly a solid foundation on which to build a friendship that's for sure.

"Hey", the youngest Tendo said as she gently placed a hand on her girlfriend's arm and stopped both of them. "Things will get better for you, I promise. Once people get a chance to see the real you, the sweet and caring person you are underneath all of that macho arrogance you project to the world, you'll find more people interested in becoming your friend. Yuka and Sayuri are a good example. I had to really try in order to convince them to give you a chance. They were quite skeptical because of how we treated each other for so long and how much I complained about you to them. Now, they are on their way to becoming your friends and you theirs. Give it some time and you'll see."

Ranma smiled warmly at her companion and nodded her head. "You want to go to the park for awhile before we go home?"

Akane returned the shorter girl's smile and said, "Sure."

* * *

><p>Shampoo walked around town growling to herself as she openly glared at any male that dared look upon her. She had arrived at the Tendo's only to find that the Living Fountain and the Stupid Panda were the only people around. She thought it was odd that the Too Nice Girl was missing but shrugged if off as irrelevant. The Amazon had considered staying around and waiting for her Airen to show up but that would mean she would have to be patient, which was something she was tired of being for the time being.<p>

'_He's probably out with the Kitchen Destroyer somewhere_', Shampoo mused as she wandered by an ice cream parlor. A small smile appeared on her lips as she considered forsaking her quest to find Ranma before dinner time. The Amazon decided to indulge in a rare treat and walked in. She sat on one of the bar stools at the counter and looked over the menu for a few moments before ordering a chocolate sundae. A few minutes later her treat arrived and she began enjoying her indulgence.

"Heya cutie", a male voice said from somewhere too close by and Shampoo turned to see who had dared address her in such a way. She narrowed her eyes when she saw that it was a tall boy with light brown hair dressed in what appeared to be a skater's outfit. Standing next to him was a short brown haired girl in a pink dress who was openly glaring at her companion.

"What you want with Shampoo?", the Amazon asked icily as she scowled at the interruption of enjoying her ice cream.

"My name is Mikado Sanzenin and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of allowing me to take you on a date", the boy replied as he smiled devilishly at her.

"No", Shampoo replied heatedly and returned to her ice cream only to find a pair of arms slithering around her midsection from behind.

"I must insist", the serpent said slyly, "A beautiful girl like you should not be eating alone."

The lavender haired girl felt her rage boil over nearly instantly. How dare this mere male proposition her, an Amazon warrior, let alone touch her in such a fashion. She looked down at the boy's hands and how tightly they were holding her and decided she probably couldn't turn around in her seat to punch him. She smirked and grabbed both of his hands and squeezed as hard as she could, shattering the bones in the boy's hand like they were twigs.

The male half of the Golden Pair screamed in agony as he hastily released his hostage and stumbled backwards. Shampoo slithered off the bar stool and stood over him with a wicked smile on her face as she brought her heel down hard on Sanzenin's family jewels. She sniffed hautingly and stuck her nose high in the air as she walked out of the establishment not even bothering to look back at the defeated male.

Azusa Shiratori gasped in surprise at the brutality of the counter attack and knelt down by her skating partner. She looked at him in disdain as she laughed in his face and sneered, "Serves you right Micky."

"Damn it", Mikado said in horrible falsetto voice, "She was going to be my 1,100th different kiss too."

This of course earned him nothing but a contemptous stare and snorts of disgust from the other patrons of the establishment, especially its female patrons. The males might have had some sympathy for the boy given where the Amazon had hit him but even they found it hard to remain sympathetic after hearing about his womanizing habits.

* * *

><p>Shampoo was beyond pissed as she stormed away from the ice cream shop. She summoned her Chuís and began randomly destroying walls and fences as she tried in vane to vent out her frustrations. First she had been stuck in the restaurant for far too long, then she couldn't seem to find Ranma anywhere and finally third, that Mikado jerk had tried to feel her up. Her, a proud and fierce Amazon warrior. She was village Champion and yet she had been violated by a common playboy. She shuddered just before a nearby mailbox was completely destroyed before she continued on her path of destruction.<p>

"You there, in the Chinese dress and lavender hair", a voice called out sternly. "Drop your weapons and surrender!"

Shampoo turned around slowly, another male sought to dominate her? She growled softly and glared at the male in front of her. He wasn't particularly threatening in a physical sense but he was wearing the uniform for the local police organization. Still, even if they somehow subdued and arrested her, she could just break out of jail easily enough. These pathetic males had no hold on her.

"You're under arrest for assault and multiple counts of destruction of property. Come along peacefully or else we'll add resisting arrest and assault on a police officer to your growing list of charges", the man replied when it looked like the Chinese bombshell wasn't going to just surrender.

"Men!", Shampoo spat as she raised her maces threateningly. "You think you can do what you want with Shampoo? Mikado already pay price for violating Amazon woman. Now you pay too!"

The lavender haired girl leapt at the police officer and was about to smash his face in when she felt two little stings in her chest a split second before she froze from an electrical current that surged throughout her body rendering her unconscious. Another officer walked up to the prone body of the downed girl and shook her head as she removed the TASER hooks and said, "When will these kids learn?"

One officer gathered up Shampoo's Chuís while the other two placed her in the back of a waiting squad car. They quickly gathered statements from some of the witnesses nearby before heading back to the police station.

* * *

><p>The officers arrived back at the station a few minutes later and carried their package through the rear entrance. An impeccably dressed woman of moderate height stood and smiled evilly when she noticed who the police officers were bringing to her. Her green eyes glinted dangerously as she pushed her long brown hair away from her chest and around her back. She straightened her perfectly tailored black business suit and smiled coldly.<p>

"Excellent work bringing the Amazon bitch to me", Detective Imikara said silkily as she directed them to lay the lavender haired girl on a nearby bench. "What did you do with her Chuís?"

"If you mean those heavy maces, we have them here", the male officer who had originally tried to arrest Shampoo said. "I was going to take them to the evidence room."

"No", Miss Imikara said sternly as she locked eyes with the man who spoke. "Anything, and I do mean anything, involving the Chinese Amazon Shampoo, Ukyo Kuonji and Kodachi Kuno is to be brought to me and me only understand?"

"Yes ma'am", the officer said as he handed over the maces which were wrapped in a reinforced plastic bag meant to handle heavy evidence.

"Excellent. You may go but remember, nothing happened here clear?", she asked in a voice that demanded total obedience and nothing less would be tolerated.

"Yes ma'am, crystal clear", the three said in unison as they bowed and exited out the door they arrived in.

When the door closed, the darkly clothed woman walked over and locked it before turning her attention to the unconscious Amazon laid out on the bench in the back of the room. She chuckled evilly as she pulled out a syringe and said malevolently, "Now then Shampoo, let's see how you deal with this..."

* * *

><p>"We're home!", Ranma and Akane said in unison as they walked into the house having come from the park.<p>

"Welcome home you two", Kasumi greeted as she walked out of the kitchen with a smile on her face. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Um, not really", Akane said hesitantly and Ranma nodded her agreement.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Anything you want to talk about?"

"No", Ranma replied as she shook her head.

"Oh, well I had something interesting happen to me today but I'll tell everyone about it at dinner which will be soon", Kasumi said mischievously with a certain glint in her eyes. Ranma and Akane looked at each other in confusion and shrugged as they went to put away their school supplies.

As they walked up the stairs, Akane turned to her red haired companion and whispered, "Why do you suppose Kasumi is in such a good mood?"

"I have no idea", Ranma replied softly. "From the way she's acting you'd think someone proposed to her or something."

"Could that be it?", the raven haired girl asked. "I thought Doctor Tofu left over a year ago. Could she be seeing him while we're at school and he's finally popped the question?"

The red-head shrugged and said, "Your guess is as good as mine but that would be nice. Your sister deserves to be happy and if the Doc is the guy for her then that would be awesome. You know though, it seems strange that he would have gotten over his Kasumitis and propose all the while sneaking around without any of us knowing something was up though."

"True", Akane replied as she nodded her head.

"It's not Doctor Tofu", a feminine voice interjected from Nabiki's bedroom door. "I don't know why my older sister is happy but I can tell you it isn't him."

"Who is it?", Ranma asked as she turned around to see the middle Tendo looking at both of them with a knowing look on her face.

"I don't know...", Nabiki said and then sighed heavily.

"Then how do you know?", Akane interrupted.

"Because", the middle Tendo said slightly irritated at the interruption, "I know where Doctor Tofu is and Kasumi has not been by to see him, nor has he left to come visit her. I want my sister to be happy as either of you do. I thought Tofu would be a good guy for her so I had some tails put on him in order to see how the scenario played itself out. Trust me, whatever happened that has Kasumi in such a good mood tonight has nothing to do with the good Doctor."

"I wonder if we shouldn't go talk to him Ranma", Akane said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could help Kasumi and him get together."

"I wouldn't get involved sis", Nabiki replied warningly. "He seems quite happy where he is and I doubt he'd be too thrilled having his old life intrude again."

"But, he never said goodbye", the raven haired girl protested. "Shouldn't he have at least had the decency to do that at least?"

"I would like to see him one last time", Ranma replied with conviction. "He was a great help to me when I first got here and unlike Cologne, he didn't have a personal stake in helping me. I want to tell him what a difference he has made in my life just when it was pretty much at its lowest point."

"Was meeting us really that bad?", Akane asked in a small voice as her eyes shimmered slightly.

Ranma frowned as she looked over at her girlfriend and shook her head, "No, not really. I could have done without the surprise engagement but remember I had recently been cursed and chased by a homicidal Amazon for the previous month before I showed up here. Then, the first time in quite awhile someone offered to be my friend only to pull it out from under me the second she found out I was a boy."

Akane bowed her head in shame and a tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered their beginning.

The red-head noticed and said, "Oh Akane, please don't cry. I'm over it now and I forgive you as I hope you have forgiven me for things that I've done. I was just saying at that point in my life everything that could go wrong seemed to be doing so and the Doc was someone that helped me out of it. You did too, in your own way, on the very rare occasion you flashed me a brilliant smile that melted my heart."

The youngest Tendo dried her eyes and gave her girlfriend a sunny smile and said, "Like this?"

"Exactly like that", Ranma replied as she felt her heart melt all over again.

Nabiki rolled her eyes and walked back into her room and closed the door. She wasn't about to stick around and listen to their surgery sweet lovey dovey talk if she could help it. It was nice to see them getting along with one another but there was such a thing as too much sweetness.

* * *

><p>A little while later, after Kasumi had called everyone to dinner, the eight members of the Tendo-Saotome families as well as Konatsu sat around the dining room table. Akane had changed out of her school uniform and was wearing her yellow gi since she planned to train after dinner. Ranma hadn't bothered to change back into her male form and wondered if she would have to put up with the drama from her parents about wearing her cursed form. Konatsu was still wearing the Chinese clothes he had been wearing earlier. Nabiki, as per her usual, was wearing a stylish blouse and comfortable pants while the fathers wore their white and brown gis. Kasumi was wearing a conservative yellow dress but the big surprise was Nodoka. The older woman wasn't wearing a kimono like she usually did but rather a blue blouse with a nice floral pattern and black pants with a purple belt tied on her waist.<p>

"Itadakimasu", everyone said at once before they began eating. The space was fairly tight as the table was meant for six, not eight. Ranma and Akane, as well as others found themselves accidentally poking each other in the ribs due to the close quarters.

Kasumi set down her chopsticks for a moment and cleared her throat. "Everyone, I have some news I would like to share with all of you."

The other seven members all stopped what they were doing and looked expectantly at the oldest Tendo daughter and waited for her continue.

"As you know, I had decided to go back to school in the fall", the brown haired woman said as she watched a variety of reactions appear on everyone's faces. "Well, now it's official! I received the acceptance letter this afternoon."

Soun's face fell and cried out that his daughter was leaving him causing everyone else to roll their eyes in disgust. Akane, Nabiki, Ranma and Nodoka all looked at her with a smile on their face and congratulated her. Konatsu remained quiet thinking this was a family affair and that he shouldn't get involved and Genma was completely indifferent and shrugged.

"Oh, before you protest and say we can't afford it", Kasumi said as she looked at her father's over the top display, "I have a full scholarship so it won't cost us a single Yen. It's not like you'll never see me again either. I'll come home on breaks and visit I promise."

"What are you planning on studying Kasumi?", Ranma asked as her smile widened and wondered if she could help the older girl and Doctor Tofu get together after all since they shared a common interest.

"Medicine", the elder girl said with a huge smile on her face. "When I went to Furinkan which wasn't that long ago", Kasumi said giving the two youngest girls a pointed look which caused them to giggle slightly. The eldest Tendo daughter's face softened as a small smile spread across her face and she said, "people would call me Doctor Tendo because I was always fixing them up. Now, back then it was mostly sports related injuries, not the martial arts insanity that you two get involved with on a daily basis."

Akane and Ranma had the grace to blush slightly and nod their heads which caused the rest of the table to laugh softly.

"Oh, before I forget", Kasumi said as she turned her attention back towards the youngest teenagers, "Nabiki and I need to speak with you two after dinner before you get too caught up in your evening training."

The two shorter girls looked at one another curious as to what it could possibly be about before returning their gaze back to the older Tendo daughters and reluctantly nodded their heads.

"What do you want to talk to us about?", Ranma asked, hoping to get some idea what to prepare for assuming it was even possible.

"You'll find out after dinner", Nabiki said coyly as she smirked. "When we're done here, go up to my room and we'll be with you shortly."

Ranma and Akane swallowed nervously, not liking the middle Tendo's ominous tone as they looked back and forth between her and Kasumi. The rest of the table was equally puzzled but said nothing as they watched the proceedings.

* * *

><p>A little while later the three Tendo daughters and Ranma were upstairs in Nabiki's room. Kasumi and Akane were sitting on the bed while Ranma sat on the floor against the wall. Nabiki herself sat at her desk facing the other three.<p>

"Kasumi and I talked a little this afternoon about some interesting developments that have been happening lately", Nabiki said cryptically as she looked at her younger sister and the red head with her 'Ice Queen' mask firmly in place.

Akane and Ranma traded glances as the raven haired girl asked nervously, "Such as?"

"Well", Nabiki said slyly, "For starters, what kind of things did you two do together on your little camping trip this weekend?"

"Huh?", Ranma said as she quickly scrambled her mind for something that wouldn't reveal their deepest secrets. "Oh, nothing much. She found me Friday afternoon and we talked for quite awhile that first night about some very important things. It was a training trip so we spent Saturday and Sunday morning working on her martial arts and tree hopping skills."

"What important things?", the middle Tendo asked with a smirk on her lips. She was sure they were keeping something juicy from her and she wanted to know exactly what transpired between the two of them while they had no interruptions or supervision.

"If you remember sis", Akane interjected as she looked at her girlfriend softly, "Ranma ran off some time that night after the whole situation with P-chan blew up. I found a note in my room later that told me where I could find her if I wanted to ever talk to her again. Friday after lunch I headed for the campsite so that I could let her know she could come back. As she said, we talked for a long time that first night and cleared the air between us."

"That's another thing", Nabiki said as she tapped her forefinger on her chin, her sister's use of feminine pronouns to describe her fiancé not lost on her, turned towards the redhead as she said, "You're spending a lot of time as a girl these days. Why is that?"

Ranma sighed and looked back at the love of her life who nodded slowly and said, "For now, Akane is more comfortable with me this way. If you think about what's happened lately with the males in her life, she feels betrayed and is distrustful of all of them. I can't say I blame her, in fact, I'm amazed that I somehow avoided being lumped in with the rest of them considering my part in it."

Akane sighed and said, "That's because you sincerely apologized to me for withholding P-chan and were willing to face any punishment I was willing to dish out."

The raven haired girl then slid off the bed and sat next to her girlfriend before wrapping an arm around the other girl's back and said softly, "If I wanted you to leave and never return you would have done so. If I wanted you to become my personal slave for a month, a year, I think you would have done that too. Our fathers and Ryoga especially, who are even guiltier of withholding the information than you are, have refused to acknowledge their blame in the situation and have made no effort to apologize to us. The fact that this happened immediately after the re-instatement of the Hentai Horde really did wonders for dropping my questionable opinion of males in general to an all time low."

"Besides", Akane said mischievously as reached up with a hand and turned her girlfriend's face to look at her, "I love you Ranma. I never want to let go of that, of you. So no, you don't belong in the same category as those other males but thank you for staying female for me. Even though I know you're a guy, it helps that I don't see a male when I look at you. I'll get over it in time, I promise, but for now, thank you."

"You're welcome Akane. I'll stay in this form for however long you want or need me to", Ranma replied as she desperately wanted to lean forward and kiss her girlfriend softly on the lips but forced herself not to. After all, they still didn't want anyone to know they were intimate with one another as girls. It would just complicate things too much.

"Ranma Saotome, man amongst men, actually likes being a girl?", Nabiki asked incredulously as she and Kasumi gasped in shock. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"I'm fine Nabiki, honest", the red haired girl said with an amused smile on her lips. "I've just come to accept my curse as a part of me. I'm not a boy cursed to turn into a girl like I used to be, nor am I a girl cursed to turn into a boy. I am simply both, part male, part female and I'm okay with that now."

The older Tendo girls considered Ranma's words for a few moments and nodded their heads in acceptance. Nabiki looked thoughtful for a moment and considered the looks she had noticed between her younger sister and their houseguest the last few minutes. She noticed how close they were sitting next to each other and the little touches only fueled her suspicions that there was more going on than they were telling.

Deciding to try to get to the heart of the matter, Nabiki grinned and asked, "Do you two kiss each other as girls?"

Ranma and Akane sighed heavily as they looked at one another again with slightly panicked expressions on their faces. They didn't want to lie but they didn't want to give away their secret either so they decided not to say anything.

"Well?", Nabiki said impatiently as she tapped her desk with her fingers in annoyance. The silence was a form of affirmation anyway but she wanted to hear them try to deny it, or not...

Akane sighed softly as she turned her body in order to face her girlfriend and stared into the red head's clear blue eyes for a few moments. A warm smile crossed her lips as she decided if she was going to admit to kissing Ranma's girl form she might as well enjoy the confession. Ranma was about to ask what she was doing when the raven haired girl launched herself at the unsuspecting red head. The youngest Tendo knocked Ranma onto her back and her lips seized those of her girlfriend's in a very passionate lip lock. The Saotome heiress was stunned for a second but then started to return the fiery kiss with one as equally passionate and a number of tiny moans escaped from their lips as their bodies pressed and rubbed against one another.

"Oh my!", Kasumi exclaimed and blushed furiously as she watched her little sister and the Saotome girl kiss one another deeply.

"Kami-sama", Nabiki breathed softly as her face turned dark crimson and her hands flew up to her mouth. She had long suspected her sister wasn't exactly a traditional girl but seeing it was completely different from a vague hunch. The middle Tendo didn't think her sister was a lesbian though, not with her former crush on Doctor Tofu and even Ranma's male form occasionally when the two of them were getting along. Nabiki could feel her loins starting to heat up as she took in the scene and thought, '_Damn, that is so hot._'

Ranma and Akane temporarily forgot they were in Nabiki's room with the elder Tendo sisters watching them as they deepened their kisses and began sucking on one another's tongues as they held each kiss longer and longer. Ranma's hands began to wander across her girlfriend's back and they both began to feel slightly light headed. A few moments later they broke the kiss and Akane climbed off the smaller girl before helping her return to a sitting position. They looked at one another with stars in their eyes and said simultaneously, "I love you."

Akane licked her lips relishing in her girlfriend's taste as she turned back to her sisters with a huge smile on her face and asked in amusement, "Did that answer your question?"

"U-Um...", Nabiki stammered as her blush reached her ears and she nodded her head weakly. "Y-Yeah."

"H-How... How far have you two gone like this? The truth...", Kasumi said shakily as she too fought down the huge blush that had turned her face bright red.

"Honestly?", Akane asked hesitantly and looked at the floor before replying softly, "I didn't lie to you when I said that we haven't gone too far. We've made out like this a few times but our clothes have always stayed put. We haven't watched each other change nor have we bathed together. We slept together while we were at the campsite but that was so we could help keep each other warm since it was so cold outside."

Ranma and Akane looked at the two sisters with fear in their eyes and asked quietly, "You aren't going to tell anyone else about this are you?"

Kasumi shook her head and said, "No. I just ask that you keep your affections mostly innocent anyway."

Nabiki shook her head as well and said, "Your secret is safe with us sis. I might be a lot of things but I won't hurt you again using sensitive information like this against you. I am curious though, would you kiss Ranma as a guy like that?"

"Of course", Akane replied without hesitation and blushed lightly, as did the other three girls in the room. "We would still be careful that things didn't go too far. As I've said before, I love Ranma, what body he or she is wearing at the moment really doesn't matter to me. If this makes me bi-sexual than so be it. I would just prefer that the whole world didn't know how well we're getting along just like when we confessed our love for one another last Monday. Especially _them_."

Kasumi and Nabiki nodded their heads understanding exactly who the _them_ was referring to and couldn't agree more. The last thing they needed was another surprise wedding or the other fiancées stepping up their attacks. Speaking of other fiancées...

"What happened with Ukyo this afternoon at lunch?", Nabiki asked, wondering at the other thing she noticed that had been bothering her all afternoon.

Ranma buried her head in her hands and sighed as she said, "Well you see..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	11. Countdown to Destruction

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language

*panda signs

* * *

><p>.<p>

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Ten

_Countdown to Destruction _

.

.

**[Monday, February 9th]**

Shampoo slowly regained consciousness and groaned in pain as she tried to take in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was leaping at some mere male before darkness overcame her. She tried to move her arms and legs but found they secured in place with metal cuffs over her wrists and ankles. She grunted as she tried to free herself to no avail. Knowing how strong she was it was strange that she couldn't break her bonds. The Amazon growled in frustration as she trashed against her bonds which served only to cut her wrists and ankles and her body was racked with pain. Much more pain than she should have felt.

"Ah, you're awake", a silky voice said sarcastically from somewhere in the darkness. "Hello Shampoo, I'm Detective Imikara and you will be my guest for the foreseeable future. I hope you like your accommodations."

"What you want with Shampoo?", the Amazon snarled out angrily as she trashed against her bonds again, causing her ankles and wrist to feel as though they were on fire.

"I wouldn't move a lot if I were you", the woman said sadistically as she scraped what sounded like two knives against one another. "You have a drug in your system that amplifies any and all pain you endure. It also amplifies pleasure but I don't think you'll be receiving a lot of that in my care. Now, when Sakura shows up in a little bit that could very well change."

"Who Sakura and what she want with Shampoo?", the Amazon asked, fear in her voice for perhaps the first time since Mt. Phoenix.

"Just an associate of mine that loves women a little too much", the brown haired woman replied as her green eyes glinted despite the lack of light in the room. "You see, she's trying to find a really special girl for her one thousandth conquest. The petite redhead she encountered a little over a week ago would have been perfect for the occasion, but I think an Amazon girl with lavender hair will be even better."

"Ranma?", Shampoo asked as she felt the blood drain from her face.

The detective raised an eyebrow and said, "I see you're familiar with the girl in question. Tell me, who is Ranma Saotome to you?"

"Ranma Shampoo's Airen!", the Amazon shouted. "He Shampoo's husband under Chinese law."

"Ah, but this is Japan where you have no jurisdiction and the laws of some backwater village have no meaning", the woman replied smugly as she narrowed her eyes at the Amazon.

"Shampoo kill!", the lavender hair girl shouted angrily and trashed at her restraints again. She screamed in pain as the shackles cut deeper into the flesh around her wrists and ankles.

"Tsk Tsk Shampoo", the woman said calmly and sighed heavily. "You really might want to relax as you're no threat whatsoever to someone like me. What's this about a husband anyway? The redhead is a girl, not a guy."

"Ranma under Nyannīchuan curse", Shampoo said matter-of-factly as she began to calm down. She knew she was trapped and every time she thrashed around the pain in her wrists and ankles seemed to flare exponentially worse. She could feel that she was bleeding from her cuts and it was only a matter of time before something worse happened. "Born male and turn female when hit with cold water. Hot water return birth form."

"Ah, that explains Sakura's ranting and raving the other day when she couldn't find any information on a female Ranma anywhere", Miss Imikara said thoughtfully and started chuckling darkly. "Tell me something Shampoo, do you like women sexually?"

"Ayiaa! Shampoo kill!", the Amazon screeched as she felt the blood drain out of her face again. Sure, other members of her tribe were lesbians or bi-sexuals but she wasn't one of them. She loved Ranma's male form and wanted to be only with him. She glomped the redhead mostly to annoy Akane but it didn't excite her at all.

Detective Imikara laughed evilly as she walked away and said, "Oh yes, Sakura is going to have a lot of fun with you little girl. I guess it could be considered rape but oh well, can't be helped."

Shampoo screamed in frustration and anger as she heard a heavy door close, plunging the room into complete darkness again.

* * *

><p>Cologne paced back and forth in the Nekohanten wondering where Shampoo and Mousse were. It was getting late and neither of them had returned to help with the evening patrons, not that there were that many she couldn't handle herself. She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. While the kids were off in China dealing with Saffron business had been fine. Then had come that disastrous wedding attempt by dumb and dumber that Shampoo and Ukyo had disrupted with explosives. The elder frowned at that, sure it had cancelled the wedding, but many innocents could have been hurt in the process. It seemed right after that business had dropped off rather abruptly.<p>

'_There has to be a connection and I'm willing to bet it's because of the attack on the dojo_', Cologne mused as she absent mindedly began working on a ramen dish for herself. '_Kasumi and Nabiki both have quite a few contacts in the area. I'll bet they asked, or in Nabiki's case, blackmailed, people to boycott the restaurant in retribution for disrupting the wedding between Son-in-law and the Tendo child. Come to think of it, Ucchan's has been suffering lately too, likely for the same reason._'

'_Perhaps I should have a little chat with the Tendo sisters tomorrow afternoon_', the Amazon matriarch thought to herself as she sat down at a table and ate her dinner.

* * *

><p>"Ranma", Konatsu said softly upon seeing the redhead and Akane walk out of Nabiki's room after the long chat the four girls had had. "May I speak with you in private?"<p>

"Of course", she said to the kunoichi. She turned to Akane and said, "I'll meet you in the dojo in a few minutes alright?"

"Okay", Akane said and smiled brightly as she delicately traced a finger up her girlfriend's arm as she walked away. "Don't take too long love."

Ranma, who was becoming accustomed to the girl's playfulness, blushed lightly and nodded her head as she and the ninja slipped into the guest bedroom. Konatsu looked nervous and sat down on his futon. Ranma walked over and knelt down next to him and looked into the kunoichi's eyes and wondered what was troubling the young man so much.

"What's wrong Konatsu?", the Saotome heiress asked gently.

"I saw Ukyo earlier and she looked absolutely devastated", he replied as he looked up into the shorter girl's blue eyes. "What happened at school today?"

Ranma sighed softly and shook her head and thought, '_It would have been better if he had listened in on the conversation with Akane's sisters. Still though, I can give him the short version. I owe him that I suppose and it's not like Akane doesn't have things she can work on while I'm not there._'

The red haired girl then proceeded to tell Konatsu what had happened at lunch editing out certain things such as her emotional meltdown and subsequent kiss she shared with her girlfriend. Konatsu frowned but nodded and thanked Ranma for telling him.

"Ranma", the kunoichi said as the Saotome heiress was beginning to rise to her feet. "I've been thinking about your offer of acquiring Nyannīchuan water. Would you please write the guide and ask him to send a cask? I want to see what it's actually like to have a body that matches my upbringing. I don't want to be locked, just in case I decide that I want to try being male as well."

Ranma smiled and nodded as she said, "Sure thing Konatsu. I'll do that during school tomorrow."

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to the teachers' lectures during class?", the ninja said with a smirk.

"Probably", the redhead replied sheepishly as she shrugged her shoulders and grinned.

* * *

><p>Ranma stepped into the dojo and leaned against the doorframe as she watched her girlfriend fly through one of the Saotome beginner katas she had taught her over the weekend. She watched the raven haired girl intently and smiled when she saw that the tomboy was executing it perfectly.<p>

When she was finished, Ranma began clapping and said, "Masterfully done Akane. You're coming along nicely but I can't help and think how much further along you would be if I had just done what I should have from the beginning."

"Hey", Akane said gently as she walked up to her best friend and hugged the smaller girl. "Don't worry about that Ranma. You're helping me now. Quit beating yourself up over what you should've or shouldn't have done. You can't change the past so let's focus on what we can change, the present and our future."

"You're right", Ranma replied as the two girls separated from one another. "What do you want to work on tonight?"

"Sparring", the raven haired girl replied as a feral grin crossed her lips and slid into a combat stance.

"Hang on for a few minutes", the redhead said as she started loosening herself up. "Why don't you run through that kata again while I warm-up?"

Akane nodded and over the next few minutes she launched into the same kata she was performing when her girlfriend had arrived. Ranma loosened up by performing the kata's counterpoint. The youngest Tendo watched as their moves positioned themselves precariously close to one another as they punched, kicked and tumbled around one another like a dance.

When they were done, Akane looked at the other girl and asked, "What was that?"

Ranma smiled and replied, "Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts form 2, counterpoint to form 1. It will also be the next one you learn."

The raven haired girl smiled as she nodded and then said, "Ready to spar Sensei?"

The redhead nodded and in a flash both of the girls were attacking, dodging, blocking and sidestepping everything the other was throwing at her. They both knew that Ranma could defeat the youngest Tendo easily but that would be counterproductive. The Saotome heiress slowed her speed and ability down enough to seriously challenge Akane without overwhelming the poor girl. They traded blows and flashed each other huge radiant smiles as they battled back and forth. Ranma couldn't help but mentally chastise herself for not doing this sooner. It was actually fun. She suspected it was because they were a couple that loved one another as opposed to two people who were forced together and fought all of the time.

* * *

><p>An hour and two baths later, Akane and Ranma were in the raven haired girl's bedroom trying their best to focus on completing their homework. They stole glances at one another and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. While Ranma tried to work on a particularly stubborn math problem, Akane set down her pencil and traced her girlfriend's arm with a feathery light finger causing the redhead to giggle slightly at the touch.<p>

"That tickles Akane", the Saotome heiress said as she turned to face the other girl with a grimace on her lips. She sighted and groaned as she thought, '_Great idea Saotome, telling your teasing and playful girlfriend something like that. You know she'll just use it against you now._'

Akane smirked as she took in this information and wondered where else her love was ticklish as a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Really?"

Suddenly, the raven haired girl launched into a full blown tickle attack on her girlfriend's ribcage and Ranma began laughing uncontrollably as she begged for her fiancée to stop. The redhead leaned in her chair trying to get away from the relentless assault only for the two of them to fall to the floor in a heap with the Tendo girl on top. Akane looked down at her fiancé with longing in her warm brown eyes for a few moments before lowering her head and capturing the other girl's soft lips. She slow kissed her girlfriend for a few moments and Ranma felt her body relax as she reciprocated Akane's passionate ministrations. The two girls kissed one another hungrily for a few minutes before the youngest Tendo decided to renew her tickle attack causing Ranma to start laughing uncontrollably again.

"Akane... stop...", Ranma gasped out in between shrieks of laughter.

The redhead managed to escape her girlfriend's fast moving fingers a few seconds later and scampered up onto the bed. She grabbed one of Akane's pillows and launched herself at the other girl with her new weapon. The youngest Tendo's brown eyes widened for a half second at her fiancé's attack before a huge smile appeared on her lips. She ducked the attack and rolled towards her bed and grabbed the other pillow and stood up. The two girls regarded one another warily as they flexed their fluffy weapons and circled one another giggling madly.

Nabiki rolled her eyes at the noise coming from her sister's bedroom and set down the book she was reading and decided enough was enough. She left her room and found Kasumi walking down the hallway, clearly curious as to what was going on as well. The two elder Tendos looked at one another as if to ask, "What are they doing in there?" and weren't sure they really wanted to know. Nodding their heads they decided that they should investigate and opened the door since it was doubtful either of them would hear a knock anyway.

Ranma lunged at the other girl with a side attack which Akane blocked easily before countering with an overhead strike. The redhead dodged to the side and brought her pillow around the other direction and hit Akane in the back of the head. The Saotome heiress cheered and said, "Point for me!"

"Not for long love", Akane smirked and feinted with an overhead strike only to whip it around like an uppercut. Ranma went high to block and gasped as the pillow collided with her face and knocked her backwards. The raven haired girl grinned and said, "My point."

Nabiki and Kasumi opened the door to see what was going on and got a face full of pillow as Akane swung at her girlfriend again. Ranma tucked and rolled through the opening in the youngest Tendo's stance and stood up on her guard.

"I'm so sorry Kasumi", Akane said as she noticed she had failed to clobber her redheaded target and hit her eldest sister instead.

Nabiki and Kasumi looked at one another and a grin appeared on their lips as they both ran out of their sister's room and returned to their own to grab a pillow each. Akane and Ranma looked at one another and shrugged as they settled back into their stances.

"One to one love", Ranma said with a feral grin on her lips.

"Hey, wait for us", Nabiki said as the two elder Tendo's ran back into the room with their pillows in hand.

Ranma looked at the other three girls and wondered how good of a pillow fight they could really have in the confines of Akane's tiny bedroom. "Girls", the redhead said with a grin on her face, "We should take this either to the dojo or my room so we can have more space and not wreck anything."

The Tendo girls nodded with grins on their faces as well and the four of them walked into the guest bedroom and squared off against one another. For the next fifteen minutes or so, Ranma, Kasumi, Akane and Nabiki twisted and turned as they dodged the other girls' attacks while countering with their own strikes. Uncontrollable giggling and laughter filled the household as they battled one another like little kids. Even Nabiki, the so-called Ice Queen who didn't know what fun was, had a blast trying to smash her pillow into her sister's and future sister-in-law's face all the while trying to dodge being hit.

The men were playing Shogi downstairs while Nodoka was reading on the couch when they heard shrieks of laughter from upstairs. They all looked at one another in confusion but curiosity got the better of them. They headed upstairs and followed what sounded like a bunch of girls having a slumber party. Opening the door to the guest room, their jaws dropped as they witnessed the free for all pillow fight between the Tendo daughters and a certain red haired girl.

Genma was about to say something regarding his son and how he shouldn't be participating in such a girlish activity when he felt a firm hand on his arm. He turned to look at his wife and found her shaking her head as she said, "Let my daughter enjoy herself with the other girls husband. Besides, you can look at this as training in Anything Goes Martial Arts Pillow Fighting if you must."

The adults stared at the scene for a few minutes as Genma and Soun just shook their heads in bewilderment. Nodoka had a huge smile on her face, particularly when Ranma scored her hits against the Tendos. The redhead seemed to be going after each of them equally which warmed her heart. Perhaps her child could find friendship with all three of the Tendo daughters as well as a real relationship with Akane. Just like when she had watched her daughter and the raven haired girl spar in the dojo earlier, Ranma wasn't using all of her abilities and overpowering her opponents easily. She was holding back enough to give them each a challenge but most importantly, she was having fun. Thanks to her idiotic husband as well as the other fiancées and suitors it was something she had sorely lacked in her life so far.

About fifteen minutes later the girls stopped attacking one another in earnest and laid down on the guestroom floor and panted as they looked up at the ceiling. The adults left figuring the fight was over and went back to their book and Shogi game. Akane crawled over towards her girlfriend and stared into the redhead's bright blue eyes as their hands intertwined with one another. She leaned over and kissed the other girl passionately on the lips for a few moments before remembering that her sisters were still in the room.

"This has been a lot of fun. Thanks everyone", Ranma said after they broke the kiss and stared into her tomboy's warm chocolate eyes.

Kasumi and Nabiki sat up and looked over at the two lovebirds. They climbed to their feet and decided to leave the guestroom in order to give them some privacy. The elder Tendos thanked the couple for letting them joint the fun and knew they would have to do it again sometime. Even though they were all nearly the age of majority, or passed in Kasumi's case, it felt really good to let themselves go and rekindle something they had missed from their childhood.

* * *

><p>Downstairs Genma and Soun looked at one another with a twinkle in their eyes and brought out the sake. After pouring each of them a glass, Soun clinked glasses and said, "To the joining of the schools! We should start plann..."<p>

"No!", Nodoka interrupted and glared at both of the men and they could feel the temperature in the room drop.

"But dearest...", Genma started.

"No but dearest me you fat fool", the Saotome matriarch growled icily and the temperature dropped even more. "You two will not push them together anymore. It's because of your constant pressure they fought so much to begin with! If they weren't so afraid of being forced to be wed every time they wanted to try to get along they would have fallen in love with each other a long time ago. Thanks to your interference, not to mention the whole P-chan fiasco which I'm sure she still hasn't forgiven you for, you're lucky they get along at all. Quit bothering them and you might get your dream despite everything you two have done. Am I clear?"

"Yes dear", Genma said in defeat as he chugged the sake down anyway. No sense in wasting a good drink, besides, since Soun was distracted it was time to cheat!

Soun sighed and nodded his head. He didn't like it but he considered what he had seen upstairs and smiled. Perhaps Nodoka was right, Akane and Ranma were getting along and perhaps everything would work out if they just left them alone. "Genma, my friend. I have to agree with your wife on this one and suggest we leave them alone. Our plans haven't worked over the last year and a half and they've fought one another tooth and nail most of the time. We haven't pushed lately and you've seen how well they're getting along. They were having a pillow fight of all things, something I haven't seen in this house since before Kimiko died."

"My son is turning into a worthless girl though", Genma moaned as he looked at the Shogi board apparently forgetting that his very female wife was still in the room. "A man isn't supposed to be engaged in a pillow fight. I'm so ashamed of my girlish heir."

"Genma dear", Nodoka said coldly as she grabbed his ear and yanked him onto his feet. "I think we need to have a little talk."

The part time panda gulped as his wife nearly ripped his ear off as she dragged him away from the Shogi board and out towards the dojo. Soun shook his head at his friend's attitude and rearranged the board to his advantage before sitting back and drinking another cup of sake. A few moments later the Tendo patriarch and anyone else that was actually paying attention could hear some loud noises and screams coming from the dojo.

* * *

><p><strong>[Tuesday, February 10th]<strong>

The next morning, Ranma walked down the stairs and yawned as she stretched lazily. She found it odd not to be woken up flying through the air and wondered where her father was. She poked her head in Happosai's old room and found her parents still asleep. Smirking to herself, she left the room and poured some cold water into a glass in the kitchen. She walked back into the other guest room and splashed her father in the face with the water. Predictably, the fat oaf turned into an even fatter panda and woke up.

"Gwoff?", the panda said in confusion as it looked around only to see a grinning redhead with an empty glass in her hand.

"Come on Pops, time for our morning spar", Ranma said as she crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot.

*Go away, I want to sleep*, Genma signed, somehow. The redhead still had no idea where he got those signs from.

"You wouldn't want me to get soft would you? Are you afraid you'll lose to a weak and silly girl?", the Saotome heiress taunted with a smirk on her face.

The panda growled softly and leapt out of bed intent of kicking Ranma in the face. The redhead jumped back and avoided the half hearted strike easily and said, "Not in here you idiot. You wouldn't want to hurt my mother or damage the Tendo's house would you? Come outside when you're ready."

*Why are you a girl?*, the panda signed but Ranma had already turned and left the room by then.

* * *

><p>The Saotome heiress left her parents' bedroom and ran into Akane coming down the stairs and said, "Good morning Akane. I've roused the panda. He's a little perturbed but should be ready in a few minutes."<p>

The raven haired girl nodded with a smirk on her face and the two girls headed out to the dojo. They warmed-up doing a couple of katas as they awaited the misogynistic Anything Goes master for the morning sparring session.

"Remember what I've told you Akane", Ranma said softly as she stole a quick kiss. "He might try to use insults and taunts to get you to attack recklessly. Don't let his words get to you and keep your focus. Speed is more important than strength against him. Do you feel your Ki spreading through your body?"

"Yes", she replied as she closed her eyes for a few moments as she felt the warmth spread throughout her body. Interestingly enough, it felt similar to how she felt when they made out and asked her girlfriend about it.

Ranma smiled and said, "I think that's because you're using passion as your emotional trigger. Whether it's for martial arts, me or something else at the moment I don't know but the effect is the same. I can sense him coming. Good luck love."

The two girls stole another quick kiss before Ranma walked over to the side of the dojo and sat down against the wall. She was looking forward to watching her girlfriend spar against her father. What better way to see how much she's improved and see what they still needed to work on?

Genma walked into the dojo and stopped. Ranma was sitting on the ground casually while Akane was standing in the middle waiting for something.

"Boy!", the part time panda growled irritably, "What's the meaning of this?"

"What's the meaning of what?", Ranma asked. "You're here to spar yes? Well, there's your opponent."

"Come on Uncle Saotome or are you afraid you'll lose to a weak and silly girl?", Akane taunted as her lips curled into a smirk and slid into a neutral stance reminiscent of her girlfriend's style.

Ranma giggled softly and added, "Yeah Pops. Akane asked if it would be alright if she sparred with you and I had no problem with that. Do you?"

"I'll show you", Genma said heatedly as he walked into the dojo and took his standard stance.

The redhead stood up and said, "Are you two ready?" Both fighters nodded and Ranma gave the signal for them to begin.

Throughout the fight, the Saotome heiress watched as her girlfriend flowed around her father's attacks as she darted in and out trying to land her own blows. She was using her Ki to power her speed exclusively and as a consequence her strikes that got through weren't overly powerful. She was able to avoid getting hit most of the time though. A soft red aura began to outline Akane's body and Ranma smiled, knowing what was likely to come soon. Genma for his part backed off suddenly and looked at the girl nervously. The raven haired girl cupped her hands in front of her as she felt her passion for her girlfriend flow through her body and out of her hands. The part time panda's eyes widened as the soft red Ki-bolt lanced out from Akane's fingers and slammed into his midsection, knocking him backwards and off his feet for five meters.

"H-How?", Genma sputtered from his position on the floor as he looked up at the two smirking girls on the other side of the room.

"Well done Akane", Ranma said with a huge smile on her angelic face.

The two girls walked out of the dojo and took up position outside as Genma struggled to his feet. Akane focused on her passion again and fired off another Ki-bolt. Ranma focused her Ki, trying to encourage it to coalesce into an energy shield in front of her body. A small translucent area formed between her hands and the Ki-bolt slammed into the Ki-shield. Ranma staggered briefly but held her ground. Akane's eyes widened as a smile crossed her lips and prepared to fire another one.

"This is going to take quite a bit of work but it might come in handy", Ranma said as she concentrated and summoned another partial shield just before another reddish energy bolt smashed into it.

Genma stared in amazement as he watched his son turned daughter block her fiancée's Ki-bolts and couldn't help feeling jealous. The master had never bothered to teach him Ki-attacks or defenses. Somehow, not only had his son learned them but had taught the Tendo girl too. He rubbed his chest where he had been hit by the raven haired girl's energy bolt and grimaced. He was going to have a sizable bruise there for sure. Maybe girls weren't so weak and an embarrassment to the Art after all?

Akane and Ranma continued working on their Ki-bolts and Ki-shields for awhile longer until Kasumi called everyone for breakfast. It turned out that Akane was able to put more energy and force behind her attacks than Ranma was able to put in her defense. As a consequence, the redhead had been knocked off her feet a few times and congratulated her girlfriend for "winning".

The raven haired girl started laughing as they walked towards the dining room for breakfast, "I finally beat you Ranma."

"Don't let it go to your head tomboy", Ranma replied with an impish smile on her lips. "You only won because it's easier to add offensive power than defensive. I'll get this down eventually and you won't knock me off my feet that way anymore."

"You'll teach me when you master it right?", Akane asked, hope in her voice as she gave her girlfriend her best cute look. Ranma felt her heart melt all over again and nodded, unable to say anything at the moment.

The raven haired girl smiled brightly as she grabbed the redhead's hand and pulled the smaller girl around the side of the house where no one would see them. They slid into a lover's embrace and the two girls slow kissed one another for a long lingering minute, their passions for one another spreading throughout their bodies. They moaned softly into each other's mouth as their Kis mixed with one another and coiled around their hearts as they sighed in contentment.

Neither of them wanted to separate from the other but knew they had to since everyone was expecting them for breakfast. Even though Nabiki and Kasumi were aware that they showed each other some affection as girls, there was no reason the parents needed to know anything. After a few moments they reluctantly separated and walked into the house in order to eat before heading off to school.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma arrived at Furinkan's front gates and stopped as they took in the scene in front of them. There were students milling about which wasn't unusual but the fact that a dozen boys in sports equipment who were apparently waiting for her was.<p>

"This again?", Ranma said as he shook his head in disgust. "Don't they ever learn?"

"Well, given how many times I'm smashed them into the pavement, probably not", Akane smirked as an idea popped into her head. She looked around and smiled when she noticed Kuno was hiding behind the tree and cracked her knuckles. She had a special treat for the blue blunder.

The twelve boys charged the raven haired girl each spouting a declaration of love. Akane threw her bag to her boyfriend and jumped into the middle of the pack. She weaved in and out of their attacks and yawned in boredom before systematically dispatching each and every one of them by tapping pressure points on their neck to paralyze them. After the dozen members of the Hentai Horde were dealt with she walked onto the school grounds as if nothing happened.

"Truly a boorish lot...", Kuno started.

"Don't you ever shut up?", Akane interrupted conversationally as she tapped into her passion Ki and her body began to glow with a soft red aura. Ranma smiled and nodded his approval at his girlfriend's chosen method of dispatching Kuno that morning.

"Will thou spar with me?", the delusional kenodist said as he unsheathed his bokken and stood in a ready stance.

Akane smirked and said, "You never learn do you Kuno? Maybe you'll remember this and leave me alone from now on though I doubt it."

Kuno lunged forward with an overhead strike and Akane sidestepped it casually. Even though she didn't know the _Hiryu Shotan Ha_ yet, she danced around the kendoist in a spiral anyway just to get a feel for the movement and test her dodging abilities.

"Come on Kuno, can't you do better than this?", Akane taunted as she yawned again just before dodging another pathetically slow bokken strike.

Ranma started chuckling and his blue eyes danced in mirth. It was fun watching his girlfriend fight and get into the spirit of things. Despite how annoying the Hentai Horde and Kuno were, he could tell she was enjoying herself this morning. Her use of pressure points on the dozen boys had surprised him but he was glad to see how well she had taken to his lessons. Now, she was playing around with Kuno like he used to do. Her reddish aura told him she planned to use a Ki-bolt at some point and was just waiting to unleash it.

After dancing around for a few minutes Akane leapt away from the crazy swordsman and unleashed her Ki-bolt. His eyes widened as the soft red energy bolt lanced out from her fingertips and slammed into his midsection. The wannabe samurai was blasted off his feet and hit the ground about five meters from where he had been standing.

There were gasps from the student that saw the attack and they stared at Akane in shock. The girl in question smiled brightly as she and Ranma walked into the school without further incident. Kuno wasn't unconscious but he was too shocked to move for a few minutes. Nabiki smiled despite herself at her little sister's performance and wondered what else Ranma had taught her.

"H-How?", the kendoist muttered over and over again. "The fierce tigress is a sorceress? That demon Saotome has corrupted my fierce tigress!"

* * *

><p>When Akane walked into the classroom the other students suddenly stopped talking to one another and looked at her nervously. The raven haired girl's temper was legendary, particularly against the male half of the student body. They were frightened of the girl's new power and never wanted to be on the receiving end of it. Akane looked around in confusion but shrugged and sat down in her seat next to her boyfriend.<p>

"Akane?", Yuka and Sayuri said nervously as they fidgeted in their desks. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fantastic", the youngest Tendo replied as she bubbled with excitement and giggled softly. "I finally got to try out a new ability I've been working on. As annoying as Kuno is, he does make a great punching bag. I might almost miss him next year."

Ranma snorted in amusement while Yuka and Sayuri looked at their friend like she was insane.

"What was that red light you hit him with?", Sayuri asked as Yuka added, "What did you do to the Hentai 'Horde'?"

"Well", Akane said slowly as she tried to think of a way to explain to her non-martial artist friends. "I used a series of pressure points to temporarily paralyze the Horde. They should be fine in a few minutes. As for the energy blast I hit Kuno with, I used my Ki, or life energy. It's an advanced martial arts technique that Ranma taught me. Interestingly enough his father nor mine know how to do it. Hey Ranma, do you think I could challenge my father for his mastery yet?"

"I don't know Akane", Ranma replied thoughtfully. "I'm quite certain he hasn't taught you the entire Tendo school even if you can do some things he can't. Maybe he would be willing to finish what he started all those years ago and then you can challenge him. I doubt he'll ever feel like teaching classes again. If he doesn't want the Tendo branch to die with him, he'd better teach you soon."

"Don't you want to learn my family's style?", the raven haired girl asked hoping her boyfriend wasn't dismissing her style as useless.

"Of course", the black haired boy replied easily. "If we're going to teach the combined style, I'll need to know both. He could teach us together or I can wait for you to teach me. I'll let the two of you decide how you want to do it since it's your family's school."

Akane smiled at her boyfriend when she realized that he would be willing to learn from her and nodded her head as she said, "If I ever forgive Daddy..."

"What did your father do Akane?", Yuka asked in concern.

The youngest Tendo closed her eyes for a moment and simply said, "P-chan."

Sayuri and Yuka nodded in understanding as they remembered a conversation the three of them had had the previous week in regards to her ex-pet. The two non-martial artist growled slightly when they thought about how her own father had known the cursed boy was sneaking into his daughter's bed. Despicable.

Akane's frown turned back into a smirk and said, "I know, I'll tell Daddy I'll forgive him if he'll finish teaching me the Tendo style. That should be enough motivation."

A few seconds later the bell rang signaling the beginning of classes for the day.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Detective Imikara sat at her desk pondering the TendoSaotome case against Shampoo, Kodachi and Ukyo as she idly tapped her perfectly manicured fingers on her desk. The young Amazon was already in custody thanks to the girl's actions the day before. She didn't really want to go through the standard red tape of police investigation and would prefer that her own personal 'goon squads' capture the two remaining girls. A smile appeared on her lips as she considered a plan that would work perfectly.

The green eyed woman pulled a cell phone out of her purse and dialed a special number.

"Hello?", a lilting alto on the other side of the line asked.

"Akira", Miss Imikara said in a no-nonsense tone. "I want you to send your process servers to Ucchan's, the Nekohanten, and the Kuno mansion to deliver the Saotome/Tendo lawsuits."

"You want me to send innocents into the hornet's nest of martial artists and crazy people?", Keiko's mother asked nervously.

"Don't worry about the safety of your people", the green eyed woman replied gently. "I will have back-up ready and waiting to take care of any situation that arises."

"Even that Amazon Elder at the Nekohanten? I hear she's practically a goddess in how much power she commands", the nervous woman replied.

"Don't worry about her Akira. I will handle Cologne personally", the detective said maliciously as a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. "As for Ukyo and Kodachi, you'll find my special forces teams more than sufficient for those two. Trust me Akira."

"Very well Detective", the other woman said. "When do you want to do this?"

Miss Imikara chuckled darkly for a few moments and said, "Now."

Akira hung up the phone and sighed heavily as her thoughts drifted back to nearly the week before when her daughter had brought home a new friend for her and her husband to meet. The girl's name was Ranma which had struck her as odd at the time. While it may be a gender neutral name it was usually more associated with boys than girls. She thought back to what the redhead had told her about herself and the situation at school that Keiko had mentioned. Wasn't it something to do with a Kuno? She was sure she was missing something but shook her head in order to clear it for the time being. Miss Imikara was expecting her process servers to deliver some important messages and it wouldn't do to keep the scary woman waiting. She pulled out a contact list and began dialing.

* * *

><p>A little while later a nervous looking young woman was standing outside Ucchan's with a folder and a bouquet of flowers in her hand. Nearby, but out of sight, was a group of special forces officers ready to provide any assistance she would require. She felt more comfortable knowing they were there but the fact they might be necessary made her extremely nervous. She knocked on the door loudly. Akira had told her to try her homebusiness first even though the okinomiyaki chef should be in school.

After there had been no response for ten minutes the group headed for Furinkan High in order to attempt to deliver the summons to her in class. It was sure to be embarrassing and the young woman wondered if that was part of her boss's plan. Perhaps Akira thought the embarrassment would cause the target to attack and that was why she had special forces backup. Perhaps it was deliberate and she was the bait.

The group of seven walked up to Ukyo's classroom and knocked politely. The young woman, Rei, opened the door and poked her head in.

"May I help you?", Miss Hinako asked as she noticed a moderately tall black haired woman poking her head into the classroom.

"I'm sorry to bother you Miss Hinako", Rei said hesitantly as she looked around, "I'm looking for Ukyo Kuonji."

This of course caused Akane and Ranma to turn around and listen in, curious as to what was going on. The couple could sense six other people behind the new woman and raised their eyebrows and traded glances.

"I'm sorry Miss", the teacher replied. "Ukyo isn't here today as far as I know. Did you try her home?"

"Yes", Rei replied. "Just before coming here in fact. I guess I'll go back and try again, thank you Miss Hinako."

Ranma and Akane looked at one another again and wondered if something had happened to the chef.

Rei and her six body guards went back to Ucchan's in order to try again. They arrived and the process server once again knocked loudly and incessantly until finally there was a shout on the other side of the door as it was flung open. A ragged looking girl in a nightgown glared at the young woman who had woken her up and pounded on the door for the last ten minutes.

"What do you want?", Ukyo demanded harshly.

"Ukyo Kuonji", Rei said pleasantly, despite her irritation with the girl, and handed her the flowers and the envelope. "You have been served. Good day."

"What the hell is this?", the chef shouted as the young woman started to walk away.

"Open it and find out", the black haired woman replied just wanting to get away from the haggard looking okinomiyaki chef.

Ukyo wanted to do something, anything, to relieve her anger and frustration at the situation she had found herself in lately with Ranma and Akane. She ran back into her restaurant and grabbed her battle spatula as dark thoughts clouded her mind. She ran outside intent on attacking the black haired woman and leapt into the air as she screamed.

Rei looked up and shrieked as the chef was descending upon her like a giant hawk. She dropped to the ground and rolled away as Ukyo's spatula buried itself in the ground.

"Ukyo Kuonji, Freeze!", a male voice shouted and the chef noticed six police officers surrounding her. She grimaced and pulled her weapon out of the ground and growled menacingly.

"You are under arrest for assault", a female officer said as she prepared to handcuff the wild girl.

"Like hell I am", Ukyo shouted defiantly. "I'm a martial artist, you can't do anything to me. I'll defeat every single..."

"Yeah", a cold voice interrupted as Ukyo felt a sting as two hooks imbedded themselves in her chest just before 50,000 volts of electricity surged through her body rendering her unconscious. "Like we haven't heard that before. Ukyo Kunoji, you are under arrest for assault and resisting arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You are entitled to a defense, if you cannot afford one, you will be provided with a public defender."

"After you close up her shop, take her back to Detective Imikara's office", the lead female officer said sternly as she put away her taser. The other officers bowed and went about their assigned tasks. She turned to the black haired woman and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine officer, thank you", Rei replied with a smile on her lips. The officer nodded and headed back towards the station while the process server went back to her office having delivered the summons.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, across town another process server and squad of six police officers were walking onto the grounds of St. Bacchus School for Girls. They had gone to the Kuno mansion first and were told by Sasuke that his mistress was in fact at school. After finding out from the office where Kodachi was likely to be, the seven adults walked down the hallway to the gymnast's classroom.<p>

The young woman, Hana, knocked on the door and waited for someone to open the door. A few moments later the door opened and an older woman looked at the group of people standing there. She frowned when she noticed six of them were wearing the uniform of the local police.

"What is this about?", the teacher asked, somewhat frostily.

"We're here to serve one Kodachi Kuno", Hana replied evenly. "Is she here?"

"Are you arresting her?", the older woman asked.

"That depends on her ma'am", one of the officers replied. "We're here in case Kodachi wishes to protest her summons in an unpolite way."

"I see, very well. I will call her out here and you can conduct your business", the teacher replied. "I see no reason to embarrass her completely by allowing you to come in."

The older woman walked back into the classroom and walked over to Kodachi. Quietly she informed the girl that there was someone who wanted to speak with her outside for a few moments. When asked what it was about, the teacher shook her head and told her to go see for herself.

Kodachi walked out of the classroom and narrowed her eyes seeing six police officers and a petite brown haired woman waiting for her.

"What do you want with the Black Rose?", the gymnast said hauntingly.

"Kodachi Kuno", Hana said as she eyed the taller girl critically. She wondered idly for a moment how the girl had broken her wrist but didn't ask. She handed her the flowers and the envelope as best she could and said, "You have been served, good day."

"What is this?", Kodachi demanded in a screechy voice.

"See for yourself. I'm done here", the process server replied unfazed by the girl's outburst and turned to walk away.

Kodachi growled but knew she had no choice. She doubted even she could beat six police officers with her right wrist shattered thanks to Ranma the day before. The Black Rose sighed and returned to her desk where she opened the envelope and read what that short woman had had the gall to give her.

* * *

><p>The seven adults left the school and parted, the officers headed back towards the station while Hana headed back towards her office.<p>

"Damn", the sergeant of the company swore as he ground his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"What's wrong sir?", one of the other male officers asked.

"She didn't attack us", he replied irritibly. "Detective Imikara wants Kodachi back at the station but we have to arrest her following normal protocal. If she had attacked us..."

"You know what's funny?", a female officer chimed in. "Of the three she's the craziest and somehow she seemed quite sane then."

"Indeed", the sergant replied as he sighed. He pulled out a cell-phone and dialed a special number as the group continued to walk towards the station.

* * *

><p>While the other two squads were taking care of Ukyo and Kodachi, Detective Imikara was walking towards the Nekohanten. She met with the process server Akira had sent en route and relieved the young woman of her duties. The green eyed woman told her in no uncertain terms that it would be too dangerous and that she would do it herself. The process server looked relived as she had heard about Cologne and wasn't eager to face her.<p>

Miss Imikara knocked loudly on the Nekohanten's front door for a few minutes until her sharp ears could make out an aged voice cursing in Manderin. She smiled despite herself for a moment before steeling her mask firmly in place. Her control was so ice cold and unflinching she made Nabiki look like an amature poker player.

Cologne opened the door and nearly fell backwards in shock when she looked at the woman who stood before her. The elder felt the blood drain out of her face and she whispered, "Gloss..."

Gloss caught the aged elder in her arms as the older woman feinted and sighed. She knew this would be a difficult reunion but didn't think her grandmother would actually feint on her. The green eyed woman carried the Amazon back inside the Nekohanten and locked up the restaurant. She set Cologne down in the woman's bedroom before returning to her grandmother's office. Gloss accessed the Nekohanten's computer system and started browsing through their records.

A little while later, while Cologne was still unconscious, her cell-phone rang. Gloss clicked on her phone and said, "Detective Imikara speaking."

"I'm sorry to bother you Detective, this is Sergeant Hotisho coming back from St. Bacchus School for Girls. She didn't attack us so we couldn't arrest her."

"Damn", she said as she thought for a few moments. "No matter Sergeant. I authorize you to conduct a raid on the Kuno mansion effective immidiately. Check in with Fumiko Rankalashi from Alpha squad and see if she's done with Ukyo Kuonji yet. The twelve of you should have no problems dealing with anything those idiots can throw at you."

"Yes ma'am", Mr. Hotisho said and the call was terminated.

The ex-Amazon sighed heavily as she shook her long brown hair and leaned back in her grandmother's office chair. Once she had had beautiful pinkish purplish hair that drew eyes everywhere she went. Eventually though she grew tired of the Amazon way of life and left her daughter, Shampoo, in the care of her grandmother before faking her own death. In a way she did die, for it was then she turned her back on the Amazons and moved to Japan. She bleached out her beautiful exotic hair and colored it in such a way that no one would pay attention to her if she was in a crowd. After having lived in Japan for nearly twelve years, her Japanese was flawless with no trace of an accent.

Her heart had grown cold over the years and regarded her own daughter as a stranger from a culture she despised. She had heard all about Cologne's and Shampoo's relentless assault on a certain pigtailed boy trying to drag the pour sod to their backwater village. To say that she was angry was an understatement. When Ranma's mother had come besseching help dealing with the martial artists, incidentally including her daughter, who had destroyed her home and that of the Tendo's in following those ridiculous Amazon laws she decided to step in and help.

She thought back to her conversation with Shampoo the evening before while the girl was chained to the table and shook her head. Her daughter would never learn. Despite having been in the country for nearly two years the girl couldn't seem to speak properly. Gloss knew her child wasn't stupid and seemed to be quite the prodigy when she was three years old. The ex-Amazon sighed and blocked out her thoughts of her family members and began roaming around the restaurant making mental notes about Cologne's potions, scrolls and other assorted magical items wondering if there was anything that might prove useful to her. Her eyes lit up when she stumbled upon some potions of absolute truth.

'_Ah, these will come in handy when they go to trial_', Gloss thought as she pocketed the vials in her own subspace pocket.

* * *

><p>Cologne woke up some time later and shook her head as she considered the dream of finding her long lost granddaughter alive and well. She walked downstairs only to find a strange woman sitting at one of the tables with her feet up sipping a cup of tea.<p>

"Ah, you're awake grandmother, excellent", Gloss said cheerfully as she turned around and faced the older woman.

"So it wasn't a dream after all", Cologne said softly as she looked at the green eyed woman critically. "How could you turn your back on your own people?"

"Simple", the ex-Amazon said as she poured herself another cup of tea. "I grew tired of your way of life. I hated the fact that I was married to some outsider just because he beat me in one lousy fight. I've been a lot happier since moving to Japan even if women aren't the dominate sex here. I really despise your outsider laws and what they've done to a certain Ranma Saotome. I've heard a lot of stories concerning you and my daughter over the last year and a half."

"Speaking of Shampoo, she's been missing for almost a day now and Mousse for even longer", the Elder said with a hint of concern.

"I'm not sure where Mousse is", Gloss replied emotionlessly. "Nor do I really care. If he's broken free of Amazon slavery then I shall congratulate him when I see him next. As for your great granddaughter, she was arrested yesterday on criminal charges and is in custody."

"Can you get her released?", Cologne asked.

"I probably could", the brown haired woman replied frostily, "I see no reason to do so."

"She's your daughter!"

"No she isn't", Gloss replied coldly as her tea cup shattered in her hand. "As far as I'm concnered Shampoo is nothing more than a stranger to me, as are you Elder. I want nothing to do with the Amazons."

"What happened to your husband?", the elder asked quietly.

"I killed him before faking my own death and moving here", the ex-Amazon replied matter-of-factly as she shrugged casually. She decided against informing her grandmother that she had fallen in love with a new man, married and had two wonderful daughters since moving to Japan. The man happened to be a high powered judge and would be instrumental for pushing Shampoo's, Ukyo's and the Kuno's trials through the system so they could be resolved quickly.

"If you want nothing to do with us, why are you here? Why show yourself to me?", Cologne asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Gloss walked over towards the counter and picked up the flowers and envelope. She presented the items to her grandmother and said, "You have been served. Good day Elder."

Without saying anything further, the ex-Amazon left the Nekohanten without looking back and returned to her office.

* * *

><p>About fifteen minutes later, 'Miss Imikara' walked into her special office and sighed for a few moments before sitting down at her desk and calling a certain redhaired woman. On the third ring someone picked up and said, "Hello?"<p>

"Sakura", Gloss said somewhat mischeviously, "I have a special surprise for you. When you're done for the day come to my back office and bring your 'toys' with you."

"Really?", the other woman said, excitement clearly in her voice. "Is it that cute redhead that rescued me last week?"

"Even better", the green eyed woman replied as a nasty smirk crossed her lips. "How would you like your 1000th woman to be a Chinese Amazon with lavender hair?"

"Oooo, sounds dreamy", the copper haired woman replied. "Being an Amazon she should be wonderful in bed. I'm sure they have all kinds of interesting sexual practices."

"I'm sure they do. I hope she's not too much of a dud, being a virgin and all", Gloss replied as her eyes glinted with malevolance.

"A virgin Amazon for my 1000th?", Sakura said excitedly. "Thank you Detective. This is such a wonderful gift."

"Think nothing of it. She'll be ready for you by the time you're done for the day", Mrs. Imikara replied and the call was terminated. The ex-Amazon rummaged through her desk for a small box before standing up and walking into the back room where Shampoo lay chained to the table. She clicked on the light and smirked when her daughter screamed at the sudden influx of light.

"Hello again Shampoo", the green eyed woman said slyly as she sauntered up to her prisoner with another syringe in her hand. "My special friend will be coming by later and you two are going to become really close."

"Shampoo kill!", the Amazon screeched as she felt another needle pierce her flesh.

"You'll never learn will you? Oh well, considering where you come from and who your teacher was I guess I shouldn't be too surprised", Gloss replied as she sighed wearily.

"Great grandmother greatest Amazon ever, she kill you when she find out", Shampoo shouted just before her vision blurred and she felt her muscles relaxing of their own accord.

"I seriously doubt Cologne will do anything against me", Mrs. Imikara replied as she chuckled evilly.

The Amazon tried to flex her muscles and break out of her bounds but found she couldn't move at all. Her vision darkened as unconsciousness took her once again.

* * *

><p>Ukyo woke up slowly, pain shooting throughout her entire body. She slowly opened her eyes and flinched at the influx of light. She noted absently that her nightgown had been replaced by an orange jumpsuit and frowned in distaste. She was laying on a stone bench in a small room with bars along one wall. The chef realized she was in jail, and a very uncomfortable one at that. Her legs were chained together as were her wrist though not enough to disallow movement. There was a toilet in one corner but no way to protect her modesty. She buried her head in her hands and started crying. Her life had gone from bad to worse when she thought she had already hit rock bottom after losing Ranma.<p>

"Ukyo Kuonji", a stern voice said coldly from outside her cell.

The chef looked up and instantly recoiled at the sight of the very tall, very muscular and very ugly face of a guard.

"Your presence is requested and required for a special 'session'", the man said with a leer on his grotesque face. Ukyo felt the bile rise up in her throat as all manner of unwanted images appeared in her mind in response to the guard's comment. Was this it then? Was she going to lose her virginity to some corrupt prison guard and his equally detestable friends? In that moment she felt her heart break and resigned herself to her fate.

A few minutes later, Ukyo was ushered into Detective Imikara's special office mostly unaware of what was happening to her and just running on auto-pilot. The burly guard behind her forced her to her knees before leaving. She looked up and noticed a bored looking woman filing her nails at a desk while chewing on some bubble gum.

"Welcome Ukyo", Gloss said in a very unwelcoming tone of voice. "I trust you've enjoyed your stay at the Nerima Police Department so far yes?"

"..."

"Now now girl, no need to be like that", she replied as she settled her feet on the floor rather than the desk and popped a bubble. "You should feel honored to be in my presence, peasant."

Ukyo cringed, the woman sounded almost exactly like Kodachi right down to the peasant reference.

"You and I are going to have a little chat and you're going to answer me honestly okay?", the ex-Amazon replied evenly as she pulled out another syringe from a small box in her desk. She walked around behind the chef and plunged the needle into Ukyo's neck. "When you wake up we'll begin your session."

The okinomiyaki chef felt the sting of a needle just before her world began to spin crazily as she lost consciousness again.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Seargent Hotisho and Lieutenant Rankalashi, along with ten special forces officers, stood outside the Kuno estate making final prepparations to raid the mansion. They were fairly certain they would find enough damning evidence to indict both Kuno children for their criminal activities against the Saotomes and Tendos. The two squadron leaders weren't sure why Detective Imikara wanted the two lunatics so badly but it didn't matter either. When the woman said to do something, it was done end of story.<p>

Fumiko leapt over the wall surrounding the estate as though it was nothing and unlatched the door for her fellow officers to allow them entry. The Lieutenant was an accomplished martial artist and had been learning the Art since she was a little girl.

She looked around the area and felt an uneasiness crawl up her spine, "Everyone be careful. I get the feeling there is a lot more to this place than meets the eye."

The other officers nodded and carefully fanned out as they walked around warily looking for traps and assassins. It was almost as if they were raiding a crack house, which given how Kodachi liked to spend her free time might not have been a bad anology. One officer rang the bell and sighed in relief when nothing bad happened.

A few moments later the door opened and a bashful looking woman in servent's attire opened the door and said, "Hello officers, may I help you?"

"Perhaps", Fumiko replied and pulled out a piece of paper from inside her uniform. "We have a warrant that allows us to search the house and the grounds."

"Oh my", the young brown haired woman said as she opened the door completely and stepped out of the way. "That might take you awhile officer. The mansion itself has several underground passages as well as the many rooms above ground. There are servent's quarters outside. I feel I must warn you, the dungeon has many traps so please be careful."

"Thank you", the Lieutenant replied with a smile on her face. "You've been quite helpful."

"Who's in trouble?", the servant asked.

"I'm sorry, but that's police business for the moment", Fumiko replied, not wanting to disclose everything to the woman just in case she was planning on warning her employers. She turned to the other eleven and said, "Fan out in pairs and remember what I said outside."

"Yes ma'am", the officers corussed and began searching the mansion systematicly looking for anything and everything they could use to arrest Kodachi and Tatewaki Kuno. If they happened to find useful information on Pineapple Head as well, all the better. It really was long overdue that the crazy man was removed from his position as principal of Furinkan High.

* * *

><p>Sometime after lunch, Mrs. Imikara stood in front of a seated Ukyo in her interrigation room. She tapped her foot impatiently as her prisoner started showing signs of awareness. The green eyed woman tilted the chef's head from side to another and checked her pupils. She was satisfied seeing the rather spaced out look on the girl's face. They were in a separate room from Shampoo and Ukyo was sitting in an uncomfortable chair, not that she was very aware of that fact.<p>

"Rise and shine Miss Kuonji", Gloss said in a sing song manner. "It's time for us to have a little chat."

"W-Who are you?", the chef said in a slurred and dreamy voice. The sodium amytal was in the girl's system and ready to be taken advantage of finally.

"My name isn't important", the ex-Amazon said dismissively as she clicked on a tape recorder. "No, what's important is your involvement in the destruction of Nodoka Saotome's house and your part in destroying the Tendo family's dojo. Do you deny your involvement?"

"No", Ukyo replied drunkenly.

"Isn't it true you broke into and destroyed Mrs. Saotome's house in order to steal what you thought was an engagment ring at the time?"

"Yes", the chef replied as her head lolled to one side.

"Are you aware that you have commited a number of crimes by doing so?", Gloss asked neutrally as she tapped into her own _Soul of Ice_.

"Crimes?", Ukyo asked, confused. "I just wanted to stop Mrs. Saotome from giving her favorite an engagement ring. The real crime is that her bastard husband stole my dowry eleven years ago and condemned me to have to live as a man!"

Gloss closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, "You're old enough to understand that stealing is against the law whether you feel justified in doing so or not. The so-called engagement ring was hers to give to whoever she wanted to. The fact that it turned out to be a medicine box is irrelevent. What Genma did or did not do has no bearing on this case nor does your ranting about having to live as a man which doesn't even make sense. You haven't been to Jusenkyo have you?"

"You know about Jusenkyo, how?", the chef asked, suddenly more interested in what was happening around her.

"Doesn't matter", the green eyed woman said coldly. "What does matter is why you decided to commit the following crimes: Breaking and Entering, Destruction of Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and conspiracy to commit all of the above. By the way, this is just against Mrs. Saotome, you have other charges to answer for on the Tendo side of things."

Ukyo's face was pale already from the drugs running through her system. Upon hearing the list of crimes and that it wasn't even all of them made her face lose what little color it had left. It was probably fortunate that she could make out so little detail in the room as everything tilted and swayed in front of her.

"Now then", Detective Imikara said conversationally. "On January 31st of this year, you bombed the Tendo's dojo in order to stop a wedding between Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo. Do you deny this?"

"No", the chef replied as her dizzyness increased and she closed her eyes to try to ward off the worst of it.

"As I understand it, the would be groom considered you a friend while the would be bride thought you were a rival, but also somewhat of a friend. Is this correct?"

"Yes", Ukyo said softly as her mind tried to wrap itself around what the Detective was getting at and failing miserably.

"So what kind of friend blows up their wedding?", the detective asked condensendingly. "Are you aware of how many people could have been hurt or killed in your recklessness?"

"Ranma is supposed to marry me! His father promised me when I was six and took my dowry. The Tendo's dowry was still intact and Akane could have married someone else!", Ukyo said loudly. She couldn't really summon the energy to shout at the moment. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone else, I just wanted to stop the wedding."

"There are better ways of stopping weddings than using explosives girl", Gloss said harshly. "Fact of the matter is, you hurt other people even though you claim that you tried to avoid doing so. In addition to your crimes against Nodoka Saotome, I levey the following on you for your gross misconduct in regards to the Tendos. You, Ukyo Kuonji are hereby charged with: Destruction of Property with Explosives, Criminal Recklessness, Tresspassing...

"I had an invitation!", Ukyo interrupted heatedly, coming out of her stupor a tiny bit.

"Fine", the ex-Amazon said angrily. "I'll strike Tresspassing but considering the severity of the other two you would be wise not to mouth off or interrupt me again. Now, kindly keep your mouth shut and listen. In summation young Ukyo, you are hereby charged with: Breaking and Entering, Two counts of Destruction of Property, one with explosives and one without, Attempted Grand Larceny, Criminal Recklessness and conspiracy to commint all of the above. If you are convicted, you are going to jail for a very long time. You're lucky no one was killed in your attack for Manslaughter and Murder are far more serious crimes. Do you understand me?"

"Yes", Ukyo replied dully as she bowed her head. For the first time since their session began, tears rolled down the chef's face only to plop softly on the uncaring floor.

* * *

><p>Gloss sighed as she sat at her desk and buried her head in her hands. The guards had come and taken Ukyo away in order to clean the girl up from her little 'accident' before taking the chef back to her cell. Shampoo remained incarcerated in one of her 'special' rooms just waiting for Sakura to finish her shift. She was still waiting to find out what her two teams had found at the Kuno mansion. All in all it had been a very long day and she just wanted to go home to her family.<p>

'Miss Imikara' was filing her nails when the door to her office opened. She looked up and noticed that Sakura was standing there with a box in her hands and a mischevious smile on her face.

"Is my present ready Detective?", the coppary haired woman that could be Nodoka's twin sister asked as she bounced up and down on her feet in excitement.

'_She's like a child in a candy store_', Gloss thought to herself taking in the young woman's antics. "She's in the back strapped to my special table."

"A table? How barbaric", Sakura replied with a frown. "How am going to use some of these toys or have any excitement at all if she's bound and shackeled?"

"Don't you have some sort of chemical you slip your prospective partners so they agree to sleep with you?", the green eyed woman asked. She figured the woman essentially date-raped her collection of conquests. It never occurred to her that there might be a thousand lesbians/bi-sexuals in the Tokyo area.

"Heavens no!", the copper haired woman said. "I'm not a rapist, well, usually. Are you sure the Amazon doesn't like girls? As exotic as she would be for my thousandth conquest, I'm not really sure I want to force her. We are police officers after all, shouldn't we be trying to avoid what we punish other people for?"

"Why are you hung up on that?", Gloss asked in confusion. "You were more than willing to use a Japanese redhead as your thousandth before."

"The redhead was a lesbian, or bi-sexual anyway", Sakura replied. "She mentioned that she had a fiancée."

"Her name was Ranma Saotome wasn't it", the ex-Amazon asked and started laughing uncontrollably. "Of course, now it all makes sense."

"What makes sense Detective?", the younger woman asked, confused.

"Ranma Saotome is a man cursed to turn into a woman when he's hit with cold water", Gloss explained and noted the dubious expression on her associate's face. "Some time in his life he went to a place called Jusenkyo. If you fall into any of the springs there you become something else when you're hit with cold water. Ranma was exposed to the Spring of the Drowned Girl. That night when he rescued you he was in his girl form and you propositioned him. He told you he had a fiancée, which is true. In fact it would seem that he has three but unlike a typical male playboy, he doesn't like having all these girls chase after him."

"So that beautiful redhead is really a man?", Sakura frowned in distaste and sighed as she recalled her friend Nabiki saying the same thing. "If I wanted a man I would be more attentive to Jiro. I won't force the Amazon. I'll just have to go find one at a local club or something."

"Have you ever considered settling down with just one?", the green eyed ex-Amazon said disapprovingly. "It's really nice when someone loves you instead of the shallow emptiness of sleeping around with a different person each night."

"I know", the copper haired woman replied. "I just haven't found Miss Right yet."

"Maybe you did, you just didn't stay with her long enough to find out", Gloss countered.

"Maybe", Sakura replied as she headed for the door with her box of toys. "Maybe not. Thank you Detective."

"Good luck", 'Miss Imikura' replied as she sat back down in her desk and started laughing again about the whole Ranma situation. '_You owe me for helping you retain your virginity daughter, even though you'll never know it._'

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	12. Winds of Change

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Eleven

_Winds of Change _

.

.

(Tuesday, February 10th)

Detective Imikara sat at her desk with her head in her hands as she shook it back and forth. Where did all these crazy people keep coming from? She had just spent the last hour listening to her two squadron leaders, Sergeant Hotisho and Lieutenant Rankalashi, detail the raid on the Kuno mansion. She knew they were different, maybe a little full of themselves and eccentric, but nothing could have prepared her for the depths of insanity her underlings had informed her of.

She ran her finger down the list on a piece of paper and shook her head. What kind of lunatic keeps an alligator as a pet? She wondered about the mansion having a dungeon until she came across the note that there were biological and chemical weapon labs hidden within. Several of her officers had been hospitalized triggering various traps in the underground deathtrap. The mansion itself had trap doors and secret passageways as well.

The Kunos seemed to be rather paranoid and the ex-Amazon idly wondered how often they caught themselves in their own traps as opposed to some random criminal. Gloss accessed her computer for the records of the three Kunos and read their files, laughing to herself at one thing or another. Her smile turned feral as she pulled out her cell-phone and dialed.

"Hello?", a man's voice on the other side said cautiously.

"The Kunos might try to flee the country tonight", Gloss replied flatly. "Do not allow them to board a plane under any circumstance and arrest them on sight."

"Yes Ma'am", the other voice replied. "I will keep an eye out for them."

"Excellent", she replied as a feral smile crossed her lips as she hung up the phone. She left her office and waved at the other officers as she walked towards the station's jail area.

* * *

><p><em>"Hello Ukyo", a soft male voice said from somewhere nearby.<em>

_The chef slowly opened her eyes and looked around, trying to place the voice in the dim light. She climbed to her feet and trudged over towards the bars that separated her from the rest of the world. Her eyes widened when she noticed just who her visitor was._

_"Ranchan?", she asked hesitantly before feeling her heart break as the other figure shook his head sadly._

_"Not anymore", Ranma replied as he stepped back when the prisoner reached for him through the bars. "You know why you're here right?"_

_"Not really. Can you get me out of here? For some reason I don't have any strength in my arms but I know you can bend steel", Ukyo asked, pleading with her brown eyes as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest._

_"You know I won't do that", the pony tailed martial artist said, annoyed she would even suggest such a thing. "You've committed a number of crimes and deserved to be locked away for awhile. You think you can just do whatever you feel like and not suffer any consequences? Sorry, only in your fantasy world do things work that way."_

_"Ranma please...", the chef pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks._

_"No", the black haired boy replied coldly. "You know Kunoji, I might have been able to overlook your bombing of the wedding if you didn't nearly hurt a lot of innocent people. I think you really started losing your mind when you destroyed my mother's house though. I really can't see myself forgiving you for that. Sure, the house will be rebuilt eventually, hopefully with the funds we're suing you for, but what if you had killed her? Did you even think for one second the lives you might have taken in your recklessness and foolishness? I suspect not..."_

_"I'm sorry!", Ukyo said desperately as she collapsed on the ground and her tears continued to spill out of her brown eyes._

_Ranma regarded his ex-friend for a moment and shook his head as he said, "Are you? Can you look me in eye without flinching and seriously tell me that you're deeply sorry and will do anything to redeem what's left of your honor?"_

_The chef looked up into her ex-fiancé's cold and unyielding eyes and bowed her head again, unable to speak or maintain eye contact._

_"I thought so", the Saotome heir replied without a trace of warmth in his voice. "You know, blowing up a house and a dojo would have been a good time to step back and evaluate the situation, maybe try a different tactic and not do anything that would disgrace you further. It's a shame you decided to attack Nabiki and Kasumi afterwards for what, talking to you? The fact that you were planning on drugging me and Akane to break us up was definitely the last straw. I was already never going to marry you or even associate with you much but that just turned any friendship I had for you into hate. You only have yourself to blame too. I hope you enjoy prison."_

_"Ranchan!", Ukyo screamed as she watched as the boy she thought she had loved, then hated for ten years, then loved again walk into the darkness and disappear out of her life._

Shampoo scowled at the ugly orange jump suit she was forced to wear as she paced within the small confines of her cell. She growled as she flexed her muscles, wondering for the thousandth time why she couldn't seem to break the simple steel chains that restricted her movement. She tried to use the _Bakusai Tenketsu_to shatter her prison walls but nothing happened. Her hidden pockets were empty and she wondered how the police had managed to access her personal space. She was stuck which seemed impossible to the Amazon. She growled in frustration as she continued to pace restlessly.

Ukyo jolted awake from her nightmare and screamed, "Ranchan!"

"Spatula Girl?", Shampoo said as she stopped pacing and furrowed her brow in irritation.

"Shampoo?", the chef replied, surprised to hear that the Amazon had been captured as well. She wondered idly who else she knew was in jail.

"What are you doing here?/Why Spatula Girl here?", they both asked simultaneously.

"Shampoo not know. Worthless male try dominate Shampoo. Shampoo defend self", the Amazon replied as her anger reignited itself upon remembering Mikado and the police officer. "Feel strange when wake up no able move. Strange woman talk Shampoo."

"Some woman had the gall to give me a summons", Ukyo replied bitterly before sighing heavily. "In hind sight I really shouldn't have tried to attack her I suppose. I was hung over from drinking all night trying to drown my sorrows. Ranchan has completely rejected me now, I'm not even his friend anymore! He looked at me like I was an enemy and for a few moments there I really thought he was going to kill me. Oddly enough it was Akane that talked him down and let me go."

"Violent Girl talk Airen down?", Shampoo asked, disbelief clearly in her voice as though it was impossible.

"Yeah...", Ukyo replied somberly. "I still can't believe that happened. Anyways, the next thing I knew I was here and some weird woman was talking to me about something. I can't remember what though."

"Aiyah, Spatula Girl no remember talk either?", Shampoo asked nervously as her anger disappeared in a flash. What had she talked to that scary woman about?

"No sugar", the chef replied, suddenly nervous as well. '_Did they make me confess something and then conveniently erase my memory of the event? Oh crap..._'

Detective Imikara smiled evilly as she heard the two girls admit that they couldn't remember anything of importance about their 'sessions'. It would make catching them in a lie so much easier and might encourage them to confess to the judge. There was no way for them to know what the police knew. She rubbed her hands together in satisfaction as her smile widened.

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku, Ukyo Kuonji", Gloss said sternly as she walked up to their two cells, conveniently hidden from view from both girls. "I hope you are enjoying your stay in the luxurious Nerima Police Department jail. You'll be happy to know that your trials are scheduled for this Friday. Then again, maybe that isn't such good news for you after all."

"You!", Shampoo growled angrily when she finally recognized the voice. "What you do to Shampoo?"

"Yes me", the ex-Amazon said smugly as she ignored the lavender haired girl's question. "By the way, which one of you wants Kodachi Kuno as a bunkmate?"

Ukyo and Shampoo gasped and began protesting being in the same building as the crazy gymnast, let alone the same cell as her.

Gloss laughed hysterically as she walked away and headed for the Kuno mansion. She pulled out her cell phone and called Sergeant Hotisho and Lieutenant Rankalashi in order to tell them to bring their squads and meet her at the Kuno mansion again. She didn't want to give the lunatic family a chance to escape now that she had enough evidence to hold them. Her eyes flashed and a smirk crossed her lips as she flexed her hands, eagerly awaiting the battle she suspected would take place. If she had to kill them in self-defense, so be it. It's not like anyone would really miss them.

* * *

><p>Akane tapped her foot impatiently with her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Ranma to leave the boy's locker room. What on earth could be keeping him so long? She studied the faces of the boys leaving and noticed something strange. Were those traces of fear in their eyes? A small smile appeared on her lips as there was only one thing she could think of that they would be afraid of in the locker room. Just then, a fully clothed and very pissed off petite red haired girl stormed out, her aura blazing around her.<p>

"Ranma!", she called to her girlfriend and waved. Almost instantly Ranma's battle aura flickered out and the girl's scowl morphed into a smile as she waved back.

"Heya 'Kane", the redhead said cheerfully forgetting all about her locker room woes.

"Are you ready to go or did they catch you before you could finish?", Akane asked, taking in the other girl's ragged appearance.

"I'm done showering for now, stupid perverts. I guess I could fix my outfit a little though", Ranma replied as she walked back into the boy's locker room. The redhead looked around, wondering if anyone else was going to try anything before fixing her shirt. With one last glare, she grabbed her bag and walked outside to meet her girlfriend again.

The two girls left the school grounds and talked idly to one another as they headed for a nearby music store. The conversation the four of them had had at lunchtime before Ukyo ruined it planted a seed in the redhead's mind she was eager to explore.

* * *

><p>A half hour later, Akane and Ranma walked into a small shop. Chimes rang as they opened the door and an older man behind the counter greeted and smiled at them. They smiled back and began looking at the various instruments he had available.<p>

"Ranma", Akane said as she looked at a few guitars hanging on the wall, "What kind of guitar are you thinking, electric or acoustic?"

"I think I'd rather have an acoustic simply because I don't want to be at the mercy of an electrical outlet", the redhead replied as she joined the other girl.

"Are you sure about the guitar or do you want to try the violin as well?", the raven haired girl asked.

"I don't know seeing as how I've never tried either one", Ranma replied as she walked over to the shopkeeper. "Sir, would it be possible for me to try out both a guitar and violin a little bit, just to see which one I might be better suited for? I'm pretty good with my hands and I'll be really careful."

The shopkeeper studied his prospective customer for a few moments and wondered if the girl's petite frame would be able to handle either instrument. Nodding his head, he decided to go ahead and allow the girl to try, after all if he didn't he definitely wouldn't gain a customer.

"Would you like a full or a three quarter size on the violin?", he asked and pointed to each one in turn.

"I'd like to try the full first. If it's too big for me then I'll try the three quarter", Ranma replied.

Mr. Yoshino nodded and proceeded to prepare the violin while telling Ranma exactly what he was doing so she could do it for herself. When everything was ready he handed the violin and bow to her and described how to produce a solid note.

"Here goes nothing", Ranma said softly as she set up exactly as the older man had instructed. She drew the bow across and a rather raunchy screech echoed through the store.

"That didn't exactly sound like a violin Ranma, more like Kodachi's hideous laugh", Akane teased playfully as she patted her girlfriend on the shoulder.

Ranma grimaced and shuddered as she said, "I'll get it tomboy, you'll see."

"Very few people get it right the first time", Mr. Yoshino replied as he tried to clear the ringing from his ears. "Try again, only lighten the pressure a little bit and try to hit only one string."

The redhead put the instrument under her chin again and lightened the pressure on the strings. Drawing the bow across only one string this time, she smiled as a crystal clear note sang throughout the store. She bowed slightly when Akane and the shopkeeper applauded as her cheeks turned pink. For the next few minutes she played around, remembering the pressure and tried different finger combinations. Ranma had no idea what notes she was playing and it certainly wasn't a song by any stretch of the imagination. She felt a stirring within her heart and she realized that this was something she could express herself in a way she never could with martial arts.

"You play so beautifully even though you have no idea what you're playing", Akane said with a brilliant smile on her face. "Try the guitar now and see which one you like better."

Ranma nodded and returned the violin to its case. She picked up the guitar and after setting it on the counter, she used her thumb to hit each note while pressing down on the neck. The Saotome heiress figured she was doing something wrong, it felt really weird to be trying to play the instrument while it rested on the counter.

Akane giggled and shook her head, "No silly. You hold the guitar like this", the Tendo girl said as she picked up the guitar and held it in front of her body so that the hole pointed in front of her instead of up at the ceiling. "The rest you had right but you'll find it's easier to play this way."

"Okay", Ranma replied as she blushed in embarrassment. It wasn't like she had much music experience growing up on the road with her idiot father. The redhead held the guitar properly and strummed the six strings while her left hand fingers pressed down strings in a random pattern. She played around for a few minutes, trying various combinations of strings she was holding down and hitting with her right hand. Obviously she would need lessons of some sort since she couldn't make heads or tails what the notes actually were, just that they were different.

When she was done, Ranma handed the guitar back to the shopkeeper and said, "I don't know which one I would rather play. I think I'm going to need lessons regardless. This won't be something I can teach myself."

"Well, that's not entirely true", Akane replied as she walked over towards some beginner music books. "See Ranma? These books will show you the fingering patterns for each note. All you have to do is memorize them and be able to read music. The way you learn things I suspect you'll be playing a concert in no time."

"Oh I doubt that, but thanks for the vote of confidence Akane", the Saotome heiress replied with a light laugh. "Mr. Yoshino, thank you for allowing me to test out the instruments. I'm not ready to decide which one yet, but I'll let you know when I am alright?"

"Of course miss, thank you for choosing Yoshino's Music Emporium today", the man said and then turned towards Akane and asked, "How about you miss, do you have an interest in music as well?"

"I love listening to it but I doubt I would be any good playing an instrument", Akane replied. "I'm just here to lend my best friend support."

Mr. Yoshino nodded and wished the two girls farewell as they left the store. He sighed and thought, '_The redhead has promise. It usually takes more than one try to get a clear note out of a violin like that. I hope she comes back soon._'

"You could have tried some instruments Akane", Ranma said as they headed home.

"No way, you would've just laughed and made fun of me", the raven haired girl said as she hopped onto a nearby wall.

"Well sure, you laughed at me after all", the redhead replied as she hopped onto the wall as well. "Say, are you wearing shorts under your dress?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?", Akane said as she looked at the shorter girl with her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Ranma shrugged and said, "Well, I thought we could do some roof hopping on our way home."

"Why don't we go home first, drop off our bags and change, then we can roof hop until dinner or something", the youngest Tendo suggested.

The Saotome heiress nodded and the two teenagers continued their walk home chatting idly about one thing or another.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Cologne watched as the last customer left her restaurant and sighed. Where was that fool Mousse? Where were her customers? If her granddaughter was to be believed, she knew where Shampoo was and frowned. How was it that a simple jail cell could hold an Amazon warrior? Clearly there was more going on than she knew and it was time to get some answers. She closed the restaurant and headed over to the Tendo's house. If anyone knew what was going on it would be Nabiki.<p>

She rang the bell and waited patiently for someone to open the door. A few minutes passed before someone finally decided to answer.

Soun opened the door and said, "Yes?"

"I'm here to speak with Nabiki", Cologne said thinly, irritated she had been kept waiting for so long as well as being addressed so casually by the girl's fool father. '_At least it wasn't the panda that answered the door._'

"Nabiki isn't here as far as I know", the Tendo patriarch replied stiffly.

"Since you answered the door I guess I can assume Kasumi or Akane aren't here either. I probabbly interrupted yet another Shogi game between you and the panda", the matriarch said, not bothering to hide her disgust.

Soun folded is arms across his chest and said, "What do you want? Haven't you and that bimbo of a granddaughter of yours caused enough trouble for Ranma and my family? What is it going to take for you to see that Ranma and Akane will marry and that you have no claim whatsoever."

Cologne narrowed her eyes at the blatant disrespect from a man who usually avoided conflict whenever possible. "You've grown bold Soun. What happened to the blubbering mess of a man who shirked responsibility and confrontation whenever possible? Has Son-in-law finally rubbed off on you and given your foolish tongue a sense of courage?"

"It's true that in my grief for my long lost wife I became a shadow of a man", the Tendo patriarch said sadly. "However, I'm tired of your meddlesome ways and I'm determined to put a stop to it. You know as well as I do that Ranma would never be happy in your village where men are considered nothing more than breeding stock."

"You know, there is a way we could resolve this peacefully...", the Amazon elder said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you could leave and never return", Soun interrupted snidely.

"Idiot", Cologne hissed as she bonked the taller man over the head with her staff. "I mean something that would allow Ranma and Akane to stay together while also settling Shampoo's honor."

"I'm listening", the dark haired man said caustiously as he narrowed his eyes.

"Amazon Law allows men to be married to multiple women as it helps diversify the gene pool and increases the birth rate", the old woman said. "Ranma could marry both Akane and Shampoo. The two of them as well as any children they produce would become Amazons. Your families would be considered honorary Amazons and wouldn't be subject to outsider laws."

"Akane and Ranma are to carry on the Anything Goes Schools of Martial Arts", Soun replied unflinching.

"They would be able to do that there far easier than they could do here I imagine", Cologne replied. She sighed at the man's unbelieving look and continued, "Think about it Soun, who around here really cares about martial arts anymore, honestly? Meanwhile there are villages that live and breath the warrior culture. Your daughter and her husband would have no shortage of eager students I can assure you of that."

"There is still the matter that neither one of them would want to move to China, away from their families and friends", he said and then grinned, "How modern is your village?"

The old woman chuckled and said, "Alright fine, you've got me there. We're not as technologically advanced as Japan or even the rest of China. That doesn't mean we're complete savages though."

Her tone became harsh and unforgiving as as she said, "Why are you so concerned with what they want? As I understand it, you and the panda forced them into an engagement that neither of them wanted. You're being a bit of a hypocrit to suddenly care about their wishes in regards to China but not their own engagement."

"I know", Soun replied as he lowered his eyes. "I have recently seen the errors of my ways, as well as those of my friend, and have decided not to force them to marry any longer. I supppose technically they are still engaged because of family honor but I won't throw them another surprise wedding. They're getting along better than they ever have and I don't want to ruin it for them anymore."

"It's good to see you finally acting like a father Soun Tendo", Cologne said. "The reason I came here today was because I wanted to talk to Nabiki. I'm assuming she's responsible for the Tendo-Saotome lawsuit I received word about this morning."

"I know nothing about that", Soun replied.

* * *

><p>Nabiki sighed as she walked through the front gates to her home. Standing in the doorway were her father and the Amazon elder, apparently involved in a discussion of some sort. She raised an eyebrow at that but shrugged. Usually the old crone just barged in as if she owned the place.<p>

'_She's no doubt looking for me about the summons_', the middle Tendo mused. Her spies had informed her that all three of the girls had been served. Shampoo and Ukyo were in jail while Kodachi was scheduled to be arrested fairly soon as well as her idiot brother. She smiled evilly for a second before schooling her features.

"Elder Colonge", Nabiki called out as she continued to walk up the path. "To what do we owe the honor of a visit from such an esteemed person as yourself?"

The older woman turned and smirked, "As if you don't already know Nabiki Tendo. We should talk and while you're at it, you can cut the fake suck up speech."

"Very well", the middle Tendo replied and walked into the house as she asked, "Would you care for some tea? I might not be much of a cook but I can handle that at least."

"That would be fine, thank you", Cologne replied as she stepped passed Soun without even looking at him again.

"So", Nabiki said as she set a kettle on the stove, "What can I do for you Elder?"

"Didn't you already ask me that? You know why I'm here", Cologne replied irritably.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't", the middle Tendo said as she shrugged her shoulders. "You sought me out so you tell me what you want to speak to me about. I can't read your mind you know."

"Fine", the older woman said. She didn't want to be there all day and the girl was being especially annoying. "I want to talk to you about this", Cologne said as she pulled out a manila folder and dumped out its contents onto the kitchen table, "and why my customer base has dropped off nearly 90% in the last week."

"I'll answer your second question first", Nabiki replied as she put a cup down in front of the older woman and took a seat across from her. "It's simple really. The people of Nerima are avenging their own from an outsider's blatant attack by avoiding your establishment."

"What attack?", Cologne asked, even though she was fairly certain she knew the answer.

"Shampoo's bombing of the wedding of course", the middle Tendo said as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You are her guardian and therefore responsible for her actions as well as your own. You did nothing to stop her from destroying Auntie Saotome's house over a month ago nor our dojo nearly two weeks ago. This actually answers your first question as well. We're suing you for damages in regards to the destruction and misery you and your kin have caused us over the last year. You think you can do whatever you want and not face the consequences. Well, you're about to find out how wrong you are."

"Foolish child", the old woman said smugly. "I have diplomatic immunity which extends to my kin. You'll find there is nothing you or your courts can do to me."

Nabiki smirked inwardly without disturbing her stony gaze. It's true, Cologne _had_ diplomatic immunity when she first arrived so she wouldn't be punished for the Cat's Tongue and other 'minor' things like that. However, that immunity had run out a few months earlier when evidence of the Amazons' blatant disregard for Japanese citizens in trying to capture one boy was brought to light. The middle Tendo was fairly certain the elder wasn't aware of it given her reaction but decided she would let the old crone discover it for herself on Friday.

"I see", the brown haired girl said in resignation. "We may not be able to convict you of criminal charges but we can still drive you out of business. Without a valid work visa you might be deported. I don't think diplomatic immunity prevents expulsion but I could be wrong. If that is all you wanted to talk about, will you please leave?"

Cologne cackled malevolently and said, "I will leave only because it suits me. You are powerless Tendo and there is nothing you can do against me or my Shampoo. We will get Ranma yet, one way or another."

'_We'll see about that you old bat_', Nabiki thought to herself as she escorted the aging elder out the front door.

* * *

><p>While Colonge and Nabiki were talking, Kodachi laughed madly as she leapt from one rooftop to another on her way home. She glanced down at the cast on her arm and scowled. Thanks to Ranma shattering her wrist the previous day, her ability to perform in gymnastics had all but been taken away from her. She was removed as team captain and some low born peasant was named in her place. On top of that, some woman had the gall to serve her with a summons and embarrassed her in front of the entire school. Even though none of her classmates had seen what was in the manila folder, somehow someone had found out and the information had spread like wildfire that she, the Black Rose, was wanted by the police.<p>

A few minutes later she landed softly beyond the wall to her estate and sighed in relief, glad to be home and away from the laughter and ridicule of her schoolmates. She looked up and noticed a strange woman waiting for her. Kodachi looked the woman over and frowned. She was only slightly shorter than the noble girl and had piercing green eyes. Her long brown hair wrapped around her midsection like a snake. The woman looked rather intimidating with a cold facial expression in tandem with her perfectly tailored black business suit. The woman reminded Kodachi of Nabiki actually.

"Who are you to trespass on the grounds of the noble family of Kuno?", Tatewaki growled as he exited the mansion from the front door. "Sister, do you know this peasant?"

Kodachi was startled out of her trance and asked, "What?"

Turning his attention back to the interloper and leveling a bokken at the woman, Kuno asked, "Who are you and what business have you here?"

Detective Imikara smiled thinly and without a trace of humor said icily, "Tatewaki Kuno, Kodachi Kuno, I am Detective Imikara and I have a warrant for your arrest. If you come peacefully you will not be charged with Resisting Arrest, Assault on a Police Officer and whatever else I can think of in addition to what is on these warrants. If, however, you wish to try to fight me, you may very well wind up with more than you've bargained for. Choose, now."

"I cannot fight you Detective", Kodachi said slowly as she indicated right arm that was in a cast. "I do however demand to know what is on that warrant that you believe gives you the authority to arrest me."

Gloss nodded and walked over towards the noble girl while keeping a wary eye on the gymnast's brother. She pulled out a copy of the warrant and that was when Kodachi decided to try to strike.

The Kuno girl stepped back and reached into her uniform to pull out a packet which she promptly shoved into the woman's face. She back flipped away to avoid breathing in any of her paralysis powder. "OH HO HO HO HO HO Such a stupid peasant to fall for that trick! You'll never take down house Kuno you wretched woman."

"Kodachi", a voice said calmly behind her as she felt something sharp poke her in the back and draw a tiny amount of blood. "I wouldn't move if I were you. You're under arrest for Assault on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Possession of Chemical Weapons and Assault with Chemical Weapons with Intent. Put your hands behind your back."

Kodachi sighed and knew she had no choice. Not only had the woman somehow avoided her powder attack but had gotten behind her as well. That meant she was incredibly fast but that wasn't all. She could have sworn the officer didn't have a sword on her but there was no denying what she felt pricking her back. One false move and she would be dead before she realized she had been skewered. It was better to surrender and let the Kuno lawyer team take care of it than risk dying now. She draped her hands behind her back and felt metal bindings close around her wrists, despite her cast.

"Unhand my sister you wretched fiend", Kuno shouted as he moved into attack position.

"Tatewaki", Gloss said coldly as she looked down at her steel katana and then back at the fool's wooden practice sword. "Do you really think you have a chance with that toy?"

In a rare moment of lucidity, Kuno dropped his bokken and surrendered. He had seen the woman essentially teleport behind his sister and magically summon a sword out of thin air. He had seen such sorcery before, when the foul Saotome had ensnared his two loves, the Fierce Tigress and the Pigtailed Goddess. It was made worse the day Akane Tendo had been corrupted and turned into the Darkfire Demoness. The purity of his Fierce Tigress was forever destroyed that day when she summoned forth an unholy black fiery aura and conjured a katana made from the fires of Hell itself. He shuddered at the memory and placed his hands behind his back where Gloss promptly handcuffed him.

"Tatewaki Kuno", Detective Imikara said, "You are under arrest for only that which is written in the warrant since you did not resist or attack me."

The kendoist nodded as Sergeant Hotisho and Lieutenant Rankalashi, along with six officers walked in through the Kuno front gate and surrounded the two prisoners.

"Take them back to the station and book them", Gloss said. "I'll go to Furinkan and take care of Pineapple Head personally."

"What do you want with my father?", Tatewaki asked as he was led away.

"You'll see soon enough", the ex-Amazon said cryptically with a smirk on her lips as she walked towards Furinkan High.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, the Tendos and Saotomes were sitting around the dining room table eating dinner. Conversation for the most part was fairly light and inconsequential until Soun happened to mention his confrontation with Cologne and asked what the lawsuit the elder had mentioned was all about.<p>

"Shortly after the bombing on the wedding, Akane, Kasumi and I decided we would take action against the other fiancées as well as a certain delusional kendoist", Nabiki replied. "We also decided to instigate a boycott on the Nekohanten and Ucchan's to financially cripple them as we prepared the lawsuits. I'm proud to announce the boycotts have been a success. Cologne mentioned that she had lost about 90% of her business and since Ukyo is in jail she's lost all of her business for now."

"Why is Ukyo in jail?", Soun asked.

"She attacked a process server delivering details about the lawsuit", the middle Tendo said with a feral grin on her face.

"That really doesn't sound like Ucchan", Ranma replied softly as a grimace crossed his face. Akane nodded in agreement.

"I suspect that's due to the dressing down you gave her yesterday at lunch. Her whole identity is wrapped up in being your fiancée, marrying you in order to redeem her honor and become a woman again. Frankly I think her father is an idiot but whatever, that is neither here nor there", Nabiki replied as she twirled some ramen on her chopsticks and glared at Genma for a moment.

"You'll love this", the mercenary girl continued, "Both of the Kuno children and Shampoo are in jail as well."

"Really?", Ranma asked as his face split into a brilliant smile and said, "That's wonderful news. I wonder how a normal jail cell is holding Shampoo though."

"I don't know", Nabiki replied and frowned. "Considering how she used to break through walls like they were nothing I have to say I'm very surprised they are able to hold her. Perhaps they are keeping her sedated."

"They would have to I think", the black haired boy replied as he scratched his chin in thought. "When is the trial?"

"This coming Friday", she replied. "Friday the 13th incidentally. I wonder if anything interesting will happen."

"Knowing Nerima, probably. It would be just my luck for Ryoga, Happosai and Taro to all show up at once", Ranma replied sourly. Akane frowned, not particularly eager to see the chimera, ancient pervert or pig again. She gently took her boyfriend's hand in her own and squeezed it in reassurance before releasing a few moments later.

"Hmm", Genma said thoughtfully as sparkles appeared in his eyes. "Tendo, with the other fiancées in jail, we can have a wedding..."

"Husband, get that thought out of your head this instant", Nodoka said coldly as she grabbed the fat man's ear. "Ranma and Akane will marry in their own time should they choose to. You are not to force them together anymore, clear?"

The part time panda sighed and said, "Yes dear."

Akane and Ranma looked at one another and smiled while their hands found one the other's underneath the table again for a few moments.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Genma and Soun wandered over to the Shogi table all ready to start a new game when a shadow fell across the board. The men looked up, almost expecting to see Nodoka with a scowl on her face for one reason or another. What they found instead was Ranma glaring down at them.<p>

"What do you want boy?", Genma asked as he moved a pawn as an opening move.

"I have a message for Mr. Tendo from his youngest daughter", Ranma replied smugly. "Akane wants you to complete her training in the Tendo branch of Anything Goes. Before you refuse, she asked me to remind you that is the only way she'll ever forgive you for your betrayal about P-chan."

"You're one to talk boy, you hid it from the beginning", the white clad martial artist growled as he moved another pawn to counter Soun's opening move.

"Yes, I made a colossal error in judgment when I made that promise not to expose him and felt like I had to keep it. Unlike you old man, I try my best to keep my promises", Ranma replied coldly. "You two however, we're under no such restriction and should have told her. How could you allow that perverted boy to defile your own daughter's bed on the off chance it might make me jealous? You two are disgusting."

"You sure took your sweet time telling her and in the process broke that precious promise you're harping about", Genma said snidely.

"Yeah well, I thought Ryoga would do the right thing some day since he's always calling me a cowardly, dishonorable pervert", the pony tailed boy replied angrily. "He should really take a look at himself in a mirror sometime. Anyways, Mr. Tendo, are you going to finish your daughter's training or will the Tendo branch essentially die with you?"

"I'll teach you son", the black haired man said as he moved a knight to take out one of Genma's pawns. "Then you can teach Akane."

"No", the pony-tailed young man said sternly as he narrowed his eyes in anger. "Akane can teach me after you have taught her. She's the heir to the Tendo branch, not me."

"Now see here son...", Soun started.

"No. I'll put it to you this way and maybe you'll understand", Ranma said with a smirk on his lips. "I refuse to marry any of your daughters so long as you refuse to train her in the Tendo style. I will learn only from her, got it? Why are you being so stubborn about this? You have a willing student that desires nothing more than to be best martial artist she can be. Do the right thing Mr. Tendo and start acting like a man for once."

* * *

><p>The black haired boy stomped away from the lazy old men as they sputtered and headed for the dojo. Ranma paused for a moment to clear his head before walking in and closing the doors behind him. He sighed as he leaned against the wall. Akane walked up to him and slipped her arms around his back with a smile on her face.<p>

"How did it go?", Akane asked as she hugged him.

"They seemed more interested in their Shogi game than listening to me. I think I got through to them somewhat though", Ranma replied as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's back. "I told them that I would refuse to marry you so long as he refuses to train you. That should be enough to encourage him assuming they still want to join the schools. Considering that's all they've talked about for the last year and a half I can't believe they would let this opportunity pass."

"He tried to teach you first and then said you could train me afterwards didn't he?", Akane asked, irritation clear in her tone.

"Yeah, but then we both knew they would try that stunt", the pony tailed martial artist quipped. "I told them I would only learn from you."

"Did you tell him he could earn my forgiveness for withholding P-chan by training me?", she asked softly as she rested her head on her boyfriend's muscled chest.

"I did, that's when he offered to train me and said I could teach you afterwards", Ranma replied. "I almost felt like punching him right then and there."

Akane giggled into his chest and said, "He is a bit thick headed isn't he?"

"I don't have to wonder where you get it from tomboy", the Saotome heir teased gently.

The raven haired girl pulled away slightly and stared into his blue eyes as she said, "You're one to talk baka!"

"Yeah well, my old man is pretty thick headed too. I guess we both got it from our fathers. Lucky us eh?", Ranma smirked with a playful grin on his face.

The raven haired girl laid her head on his chest again and smiled as she said somewhat wistfully, "Yeah..."

The two teenagers separated and began their warm up katas so they could train for a half hour or so. They couldn't train as long as they'd like since they homework they still needed to catch up on thanks to their impromptu vacation to China. For awhile though, they shed their worries and just enjoyed one another's company as they tried to hit one another with a variety of punches, kicks, grapples and throws.

* * *

><p>After the two of them practiced for awhile, Akane went to take a bath while Ranma started working on some of his homework. The raven haired girl knocked on the door leading to her boyfriend's room and let him know that the bath was free. He thanked her and went downstairs to clean himself up. When he was done he went back to his room and gathered up his homework and walked over to Akane's door before knocking on it.<p>

"Come in."

Ranma opened the door and walked in as the youngest Tendo turned around in her chair. He thought he saw a flash of disappointment in his girlfriend's eyes and said, "Is there something wrong Akane?"

The girl in question shook her head and turned around to work on her math homework again as she thought, '_When are you going to let me be with my girlfriend again Ranma? It's not very nice of you to keep my red haired goddess all to yourself you know.'_'

"I thought I saw a look of disappointment in your eyes", the black haired boy said as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Would you rather I left you alone?"

"What are you talking about silly?", Akane said teasingly as she poked him in the forehead. "Why would I be disappointed that you're in here keeping me company?"

"I don't know", Ranma said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I was imagining things. Anyways, what are you working on?"

"Math", the raven haired girl said in distaste as she frowned. Math was not her favorite subject by any stretch of the imagination.

"Let me see, maybe I can help you with it", the Saotome heir replied. "After that, will you help me with Literature? I stink at that as much as you do at Math."

Akane stuck her tongue out at him and then smiled as she nodded her head. Ranma smirked back at her and the two proceeded to work on their math homework together. Once that was completed a half hour or so later, they took a break and talked idly about one thing or another for a bit before pulling out their literature books. After reading for awhile, Akane yawned as she closed her books and set them aside.

Turning to her fiancé as she climbed into bed she said, "Thank you for helping me with my math homework but I think it's time for me to get some sleep."

Ranma nodded as he gathered up his books and walked towards the Tendo girl's door when he heard Akane clear her throat.

"Aren't you forgetting something?", Akane asked hesitantly as she looked at him with a frown on her face.

"I don't think so. I have my books and you're kicking me out for the night", the Saotome heir replied with a slight grin on his face, forced as it may have been.

"What about our good night kiss? You still love me don't you?", the raven haired girl asked quietly as she looked down at her bedspread.

"Of course I do, more than anything", Ranma replied as he walked back towards his girlfriend and knelt down in front of her. "Why would you think I don't?"

"You never made a move all day", Akane replied sadly as she looked away and her eyes began to shimmer. "Even tonight, we've been in my room alone all this time and you never tried to touch me. It was almost as though we were nothing more than friends, or less."

"What about you? You never made a move either", the black haired boy shot back quietly.

"Baka!", the youngest Tendo growled softly. "I held your hand at dinner and hugged you in the dojo. Besides, a girl likes it when the guy makes a romantic first move." Akane took a deep breath and sighed as she said, "Are you going to kiss me good night or not?"

Ranma nodded before rising up on his knees and leaned over his fiancée's body as he gently lowered himself so that their lips would touch. Akane smiled and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's head and pulled him down. The couple felt their lips touch and both of them pressed together a little more passionately as their kiss deepened slightly. They remained lip locked for a minute or two before Akane released her hostage and Ranma returned to his original position.

"I love you Ranma", Akane said softly. "I guess I could have shone you that a little better today but I had hoped you would show me."

"I love you too, more than I can really say", Ranma replied as he slipped his hand into hers above the blanket. "I'm sorry I missed all of the signals. I guess I thought you were more interested in my girl side than me. It seems that lately the only time we really do anything is when I'm a girl."

"You're still you Ranma, regardless of what form you're in", she replied as she released her boyfriend's hand and cupped his cheek before lightly slapping it. "Now, I need to sleep so go on, get out of here baka."

"G'night Tomboy", the Saotome heir said teasingly as he rose to his feet.

"G'night."

Ranma clicked off the light before walking out and closing the door softly. His hand gently touched his lips where they had kissed and sighed. It had been the first kiss they had shared with him in his guy form since the training trip the previous weekend. For the most part, his guy side only saw friendly hugs and some hand holding. His girl side, well, saw a great deal more including passionate make out sessions, a pillow fight and many other subtle expressions of affection. There was no question which side of him she preferred. He dropped off his school books in his room before climbing out onto the roof. He found a suitable spot in one of the valleys and laid back so he could look at the stars.

The Saotome heir knew something strange was happening to him, had been happening to him since that day at the Meiji Shrine. Had Akane made some sort of wish to split his personality between his two sides? What would be the point unless it was so that a new personality for his girl side could form. He reflected on his duality and knew his girl side was more like the other girls than his normal personality was. Maybe Akane wasn't bisexual like he had originally thought when she showed how comfortable she was with his girl form. Was she in fact a lesbian and only tolerated his guy side because he could become the girl of her dreams with some cold water? It certainly made sense as he thought back over the previous two weeks. Compared to the passionate make out sessions they shared as girls, the few kisses he had received as a guy were rather chaste, almost as though she didn't really want to kiss him.

'_I wonder if she's always been this way_', he thought to himself as he absently looked up at the waning crescent moon rising in the evening sky. '_If she has, then her reactions to me when we met certainly make a lot of sense. As soon as she found out I was a guy all of her friendship flash boiled into anger, hate and mistrust._'

Sighing heavily, he thought, '_Despite her assurances that she loves both sides of me, she definitely loves my girl side more. She hasn't asked me to, thank Kami, but I wonder if I could even forsake my manhood completely. Could I live out the rest of my life as a girl? I wonder if my parents would disown me, especially if I locked myself on purpose. I might even lose Akane if I do that despite her apparent preference. What if she wants to keep my male side around for the sake of appearances? How would we ever get married or have children unless we used some instant __Nannīchuan or something? I guess there is really nothing I can do but see how things play out for now._'

* * *

><p>(Wednesday, February 11th)<p>

Ranma awoke some time later on the Tendo's roof panting as he looked around in confusion trying to get his bearings. His whole body was shaking but it had to be a dream, or so he hoped. It had felt so real though. Leaping off the roof, he walked over to the Koi pond and knelt down as he plunged his hand in the placid water. He smiled when he felt the change wash over him and breathed a sigh of relief. The redhead walked around the house and entered the dojo, needing something to calm herself down and relax her agitated mind.

As the Saotome heiress warmed up her muscles, her thoughts drifted back to her troubling nightmare. She had dreamt that somehow her curse had been removed and she no longer changed genders based on the local water temperature. A year or so ago she would have been happy to never be a girl again. When it happened in her nightmare though, Akane broke off the engagement and looked at him as though he was nothing but a cockroach. She then proceeded to break his heart and told him the only reason she found him tolerable was because of his girl side before revoking their friendship just as she had that very first night after the incident in the bath.

Ranma launched herself into one of the advanced Saotome aerial katas trying to drive her thoughts away from the troubling dream. What if it was true? She shook her head, it didn't matter for the moment if that would happen or not since she still had her female body. She couldn't go through life thinking she would be cured all of a sudden and the potential fallout of such an occurrence. It would be just her luck though, finally get cured and lose the one woman who meant everything to her.

The redhead heard a soft sigh from somewhere nearby and stopped her kata. She turned and found her girlfriend standing in the doorway with a love struck look on her face.

"Hello Akane", Ranma said before resuming her kata.

"Hi", the raven haired girl replied. "Is everything alright? It's 3:00 in the morning."

"I'm okay", the redhead replied, not really eager to discuss her dream at the moment. "I was just having some trouble sleeping and thought I'd try to tire myself out."

"Oh", Akane said slowly. She knew something was bothering her fiancé but recognized the fact the girl didn't want to talk about it. "Do you mind if I watch for awhile?"

"I guess not", Ranma replied as she started another kata. "Why are you up?"

"I had trouble getting back to sleep after having a nightmare. I was going to sit on the roof for awhile but I noticed the dojo lights were on", the youngest Tendo replied as she sat down against the wall of the dojo so she could watch the redhead run through her katas.

Ranma stopped her kata before turning towards her fiancée and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really", Akane replied as she shook her head. Ranma nodded and continued her kata. She watched in fascination how the girl twisted and turned at such a mind boggling speed and wondered absently if she would ever be able to do the same. The raven haired girl couldn't help but feel jealous. Akane figured she'd never match Ranma's abilities but thanks to her girlfriend's help the gap between them should lessen in time.

After awhile, Ranma slowed down and grabbed a towel so she could dry herself off. She looked over at her companion and noticed the girl was sitting just as she had been but her head was hanging down. The redhead walked over to the other girl and knelt in front of her. Using her left hand, she gently tilted her girlfriend's chin up and chuckled softly at the fact that the girl was asleep.

'_I guess I bored her after all_', the Saotome heiress thought as she contemplated how to get Akane back inside without waking her.

Ranma snuck back inside the house through her bedroom window before walking downstairs to unlock the door leading to the dojo. She gently picked up her girlfriend bridal style and carried the girl back to her bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. The redhead tucked the youngest Tendo in and stared at the girl's face for a few minutes. Ranma considered kissing her fiancée on her lips but fought down the impulse since she didn't want to wake her up.

Instead, she knelt down and kissed her girlfriend on the forehead before whispering, "I love you Akane. Sweet dreams."

"Ranma...", Akane said wistfully as she reached out for the girl of her dreams just before the door closed softly after the redhead had left the room.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Akane awoke to the plinking and plopping sounds of rain drops hitting her window and smiled. Rain meant she would see her girlfriend again unless he remembered an umbrella and somehow avoided getting splashed by some random thing or another. As she dressed in suitable workout clothing, Akane wondered idly what the morning would bring. She walked down the hallway and knocked on the door to the guest room.<p>

"Come in."

Akane smiled as she walked in, recognizing the redhead's voice instantly. The raven haired girl found Ranma standing next to the window looking out over the Koi pond and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's midsection. She pressed her chest into her girlfriend's back in order to hug her affectionately before softly kissing the girl on the neck.

Ranma laid her hands on the arms wrapped around her and smiled at the slow and sensual kiss. "Hmm, that feels nice Akane. Did you sleep alright?"

"Yeah", the raven haired girl said wistfully as a thought occurred to her. "Ranma, were we in the dojo early this morning or did I dream that?"

"No, we were both out there around three in the morning", the Saotome heiress replied.

"Oh", Akane said as she felt her cheeks heat up slightly. The youngest Tendo hoped Ranma hadn't noticed that watching her fiancé's beautiful and lithe body had caused her to become aroused. Particularly since the redhead hadn't been wearing a bra and was clad only in her undershirt which didn't cover her torso that well. Akane had gotten quite an eye full.

She squeezed her girlfriend a little tighter for a moment and said, "I take it I fell asleep and you put me in bed? I don't remember coming back inside and walking upstairs." Akane narrowed her eyes and steeled her voice as she asked, "You didn't do anything did you?"

Ranma turned in the taller girl's arms and leaned back slightly so they could look each other in the eye as she said, "Of course not. The only thing I did after I put you in bed was kiss you on the forehead and tell you that I loved you. I figured you'd want to be awake for anything else."

Akane giggled softly as she nodded her head before they both leaned forward in order to capture each other's lips in a hungry kiss. Ranma's left hand grabbed a fistful of her girlfriend's dark mid back length hair while her right hand drifted down the girl's back in order to cup her butt. Akane gasped which allowed the redhead to invade the other girl's mouth with her tongue as the Tendo daughter wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and pressed their bodies together. They moaned in each other's mouth as they melted into one another's body, their breasts grinding against one another.

The raven haired girl could feel her girlfriend's nipples poking through her white tank top and it was obvious the redhead was fairly aroused. She could feel her own nipples hardening underneath her sports bra as her womanhood heated up fairly quickly, adding to the tingling sensation she felt spread throughout her body. Akane wondered idly when they would make out in the nude without their pesky clothing in the way. Obviously with the household waking up they couldn't do it then, but perhaps they could spend the night together really soon. After all, it's not like anything would happen if they slept together as girls... Right... Akane smirked inwardly as she wondered if Kasumi or Nabiki would believe that.

The two girls continued to kiss one another hungrily, desperate to feel the other as they tapped into their feelings of true love and lust. They knew they needed to stop before they were caught should they continue for too much longer. Neither one of them could bring themselves to stop kissing the other though and the lovers continued as though no one else existed. Their moans increased in volume as their wandering hands continued to massage the other girl's back.

Reluctantly, Ranma and Akane broke their intensive kisses and disentangled themselves from one another as they gazed into each other's eyes. They noted happily that the other appeared to be somewhat dazed. Simultaneously, they raised a hand to gently touch their slightly swollen lips and couldn't help but smile brightly at one another. They sighed wistfully, not wanting their session to be over but knew they couldn't risk letting the parents find out.

"I love you", they said softly at the same time as they continued to stare at one another for a few moments.

Ranma turned to look outside again as the storm picked up and said, "I don't think we should try to run the fences or the roofs this morning. We could train in the dojo if you want or work on your Ki bolts in the yard. Student's choice."

"Let's do both", Akane replied as she walked up behind her girlfriend and slipped her arms around the smaller girl again, same as before. Ranma smiled but knew they couldn't make out again so soon after the last session.

The redhead turned around and planted a passionate kiss on her lovers lips for a few moments and said, "Alright. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Akane nodded and left the room before Ranma stripped out of her male clothing. The redhead slipped on a pair of panties and a sports bra before donning another pair of black kung fu pants and a blue Chinese shirt. After she was dressed, the Saotome heiress headed downstairs to join the other girl in the dojo.

* * *

><p>After their morning workout and separate baths, the couple sat down to eat breakfast quickly since they had to get to school. Genma grumbled about not being able to spar with his son but tempered his annoyance with the fact that his child seemed to be growing closer to the Tendo girl. He couldn't recall hearing any recent arguments or fights between the two teenagers. The schools would be joined, it was just a matter of time and being patient which had never been one of his strong suits. He still had mixed feelings about the boy training the youngest Tendo daughter. Once again he could hardly contain his jealousy that Akane knew a Ki attack and he didn't while Ranma continued to work on her Ki shield.<p>

Ranma, once again male and wearing clothing more suited for his anatomy, walked along side his girlfriend hand in hand as the two of them headed for school. They talked idly about one thing or another and smiled when they walked through the gates unopposed. What was left of the Hentai Horde were no where to be found and wouldn't bother Akane anymore, especially since its chieftain was in jail for a number of crimes including sexual assault, harassment both sexual and general, stalking among other things.

They walked into the main building still holding hands, deciding they didn't care if the school knew they liked one another anymore. After all, it was fairly obvious that something was going on between them to anyone that paid the scantest amount of attention. Gone were the days where the two of them screamed at, insulted or hit one another. There were murmurs of 'about time', and 'finally' from some of the other students as they walked by.

The couple separated when they walked into their classroom and sat in their seats waiting for the bell to ring since they were early. Hiroshi and Daisuke wandered over and talked to Ranma for a little bit while Yuka and Sayuri did the same for Akane. The bell rang and everyone returned to their seats.

* * *

><p>Ranma sat at his desk waiting rather impatiently for the lunch bell to finally ring that would grant him forty five minutes of freedom. He turned his head and let his eyes wander over his fiancée's body briefly as he took in her features. Her dark bluish hair was neatly styled as it cascaded down her upper back beyond her shoulders, similar in length to his when he wore it down. Her cute face was scrunched up in concentration thinking about one thing or another. He hoped that he was in there somewhere but given how much the girl paid attention to lectures, he doubted it.<p>

Akane felt a certain someone's eyes on her and smiled slightly. At least her boyfriend was awake even if he was too busy studying her to listen to the lecture. She twirled her hair in her fingers and looked over at the pony tailed young man seated next to her. She flashed him a quick smile and mouthed, 'Pay attention baka'

The black haired boy frowned as he understood what she mouthed but then smiled when he felt her small hand on his for a moment. Akane gave him a gentle squeeze before releasing and turning back towards the front of the classroom to pay more attention to the teacher again.

A little while later the bell rang and Hiroshi and Daisuke walked over towards Ranma's desk as Yuka, Sayuri and Akane stood up from theirs. The black haired boy looked back and forth between his two male acquaintances and his girlfriend and her two friends unsure what to do. He hadn't hung out with the boys much lately because they were a bunch of perverts and they always asked inappropriate questions about him and his fiancées. His girl side was becoming friends with Yuka and Sayuri and was more interested in progressing those relationships than hanging out with the boys.

Ranma turned to his left and asked the girls, "Would you mind if I joined you three for lunch?"

Yuka and Sayuri looked at one another and nodded as Akane said, "Sure Ranma. Are you going to change or do you want to join us as a guy?"

"Whatever you three would be more comfortable with", the Saotome heir replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we'll probably talk about girly things so your female side would probably feel more comfortable with it than your boy side", the raven haired girl replied as she smiled knowingly.

Yuka, Sayuri, Hiroshi and Daisuke all raised an eyebrow at Akane's comment and looked confused. Wasn't Ranma Ranma regardless of form? What was going on here? The way the two were acting it was although the pony tailed martial artist was two different people depending on gender.

"I'll go change", Ranma replied as he stood up and left the classroom.

"Hey Ranma, what about us?", Daisuke asked the retreating figure's back.

"What about you?", Sayuri asked irritably. "Obviously Ranma would rather spend lunch with us than you two.

"Man, Ranma is becoming such a girl. What happened to all that 'I'm a man' stuff he was always boasting about?", Hiroshi said before glancing up at the three girls not very far away from him. They glared at him for a few moments before turning on their heels and leaving the room without looking back.

"Frankly, I think it's an improvement", Akane said to her friends as they walked down the hallway towards the stairwell. "I like him a lot better now than I ever did before."

"Yeah, he was really over the top for a long time", Yuka said thoughtfully. "You know, I wonder if that wasn't the lie and we're finally seeing his true self."

"Akane, something you said back there got me curious", Sayuri said as they reached the ground level of the building. "You seem to think of Ranma as two different people. Isn't Ranma Ranma despite what gender he or she is at the moment?"

"It used to be that way", Akane said as they sat down at their tree and stared off into the distance, seeing something only she could see. "I don't think Ranma is one person anymore. I don't know how exactly, but he/she seems to be splitting into two different people. I think you're right Yuka in that male Ranma is closer to what he would have been like if he had never been cursed. I'm sure he felt like he had to act more manly because of his female half and went overboard. I think he's overcome his father's influence and because of that, he's friendlier now. He doesn't insult me anymore. We're teasing each other when he calls me a tomboy and when I call him a dummy."

"You remember how he used to be even when he was a girl right? ", the raven haired girl asked and her friends nodded. "Back then he acted the same way regardless of gender unless he was trying to scam food or something. The one time he hit his head and thought he was a girl he came across as a stereotype. He's never acted like a natural girl until recently. I'll give you an example how much girl Ranma has changed and what's she's like now."

Akane continued and said, "Tell me if the person I describe is a girl like us or a boy trying to act like a girl." Yuka and Sayuri nodded for their friend to continue. "Ranma started a pillow fight with my sisters and me Monday night. It was so much fun, it was like we were seven years old again at a slumber party. It was something that Kasumi, Nabiki and I haven't done since before Mother died. She really lights up the room with her carefree attitude and playfulness these days. Now, does that sound like the Ranma we used to know or a boy at all?"

"No", Yuka and Sayuri said together as they smiled and thought that it wouldn't be too difficult to consider girl Ranma their friend after all. In fact, they were looking forward to the next time they could all get together. The three girls looked up and grinned, noticing that the redhead in question was walking towards them with a smile on her face.

"Hi girls", Ranma said cheerfully as she plopped down next to her girlfriend and opened her bento.

"Hi Ranma", the three all responded, even though they had just talked to her male counterpart a few minutes before in the classroom.

"You're just in time", Yuka said mischievously as she grinned. "Akane was just telling us about your pillow fight with her and her sisters the other night. It reminded me that we haven't had a slumber party in quite awhile now. Do you think the four of us could do that this weekend?"

"You would be comfortable with me joining you?", Ranma said hesitantly as she fidgeted uncomfortably and looked down at the ground.

"Ranma", Akane said gently as she rested her hand on her girlfriend's arm. "We're your friends, of course we'd want you to join us."

"Are you sure? I mean I'm not a real girl or anything", the redhead said slowly.

"I'm sure", Sayuri replied as she too rested a hand on the smaller girl's arm. "You're just as much a girl as we are and girls spend time together and socialize. I can't speak for Yuka, but as far as I'm concerned you are my friend and friends hang out together."

"You're my friend as well Ranma", Yuka replied and joined Akane and Sayuri resting her own hand on the redhead's arm. "I want to spend time with you and get to know you better. I think we should have a slumber party Friday night. I doubt my mother would let me tonight or tomorrow."

"My parents wouldn't care if we had it at my house so long as we're not too loud", Sayuri said as she retracted her hand and started eating lunch again.

"I don't think we can use my apartment", Yuka said sadly as she went back to eating lunch. "My mother would flip if she knew you were coming, sorry Ranma."

"I understand", the Saotome heiress replied as she sighed heavily.

"Hey, it doesn't matter Ranma", Akane said softly as she wrapped an arm around the smaller girl and squeezed gently. "So what if we can't use Yuka's place because of her parents. We can still host it at home or go to Sayuri's."

"I think we should use my place", Sayuri said with a smile on her face. "Your house has way too many people in it and we wouldn't have any privacy. Actually, do you want to come over tonight? You can tell your parents it's for school."

"I don't want to lie to Father or Kasumi", Akane said as she frowned.

"You wouldn't have to Akane", Yuka replied with a grin on her face. "Remember that project Sensei assigned us? She wanted us to work in groups of four. Well, I see four girls right here that would make a great team and it would give us a chance to spend a lot more time together. Ranma may be late coming to the party but I don't see any reason why she can't become just as good a friend that you two have been all these years."

Akane looked at her friends in surprise and then nodded as a smile crept across her face. She turned to look at her girlfriend and giggled softly at the huge smile and cheerful demeanor that seemed to completely transform the smaller girl's face. She could tell that Ranma was started to feel accepted and was glad to see her in a much better mood.

"So how about it girls?", Sayuri said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sounds like fun", Ranma replied before continuing to eat her lunch.

"Well, it won't be all fun and games love", Akane said teasingly. "We'll have to work on our project some of the time."

The redhead shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter what we're doing as long as I'm with you and my new friends."

"My mom won't have a problem with it tonight since it's for school", Yuka replied with a grin.

"Great", Sayuri replied. "My mom won't have any problem making enough food, even for you Ranma, if you all want to come over before dinner."

Ranma blushed and the other girls giggled for a few seconds as they nodded their assent. Akane told them that she and Ranma would come over after stopping by the house to gather a change of clothes and let Kasumi know they would be missing dinner. Yuka said something similar before the four girls went on to converse about various topics until the warning bell rang informing them lunch was over and it was time to go back to class.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Ranma and Akane were walking towards Sayuri's house with their school bags in one hand and an overnight bag in the other. Ranma was wearing a short sleeved light blue Chinese shirt and pants combination with pink flowers that reached her mid calf as well as her traditional black slippers. Due to the time of year, she wore a red and black jacket in order to keep the chill in the air at bay. Akane wore a short sleeved pink dress that reached her mid calf and red slippers. She had a blue jacket to stave off the chill as well. (See the picture in the upper left hand corner to see the outfits)<p>

"You look beautiful Akane", Ranma said as the two girls walked down the street.

"Thank you Ranko, you look nice too", Akane replied with a huge smile on her face.

During her afternoon classes Ranma had thought she should use her Ranko alias with Sayuri's parents just in case they remembered her alternate form. She didn't want to cause her new friend any problems nor did she want to be banished just because hot water would turn her into a boy. As it was, she would have to be really careful particularly at dinner time.

As they approached Sayuri's house the couple noticed Yuka coming from the other direction and waved.

"Hi Akane, hi Ranma", the brown haired girl said cheerfully as she walked up to them. She was dressed in a green dress with a red sash tied around her waist like a belt. She had an overnight bag in addition to her school bag as well.

"Yuka, can you do me a favor and get Sayuri for me?", Ranma asked as she noted how close they were to their friend's house.

"Huh? Why?", Yuka asked in confusion. Akane had a feeling what it was about and nodded.

"It would be better if I could explain something to both of you before I encounter her family", Ranma replied.

Understanding, or at least a hint of it, flashed in her brown eyes and the girl nodded as she went on ahead the rest of the way. Yuka rang the doorbell and waited. She looked behind her and noticed that her two friends were out of sight. A few moments later the door opened and she was greeted by a chestnut haired woman in her mid 40's. After talking together for a few moments, the older woman called for Sayuri to come down as her friend apparently had something to show her outside.

Yuka and Sayuri walked away from the home for a minute and turned a corner where Akane and Ranma were waiting.

"Hi girls. Yuka said she had something to show me."

"Well", Ranma said slowly as she fiddled with her hands. "It's not something to show you so much as tell you. I didn't think of it until after lunch. While I'm here, I need you all to call me Ranko rather than Ranma. There is a story there and I'll share it with you later if you want. I don't want to cause you any problems with your parents just in case they know about Ranma's little shape shifting problem. For the time being, I'm Ranko Tendo, Akane's cousin alright?"

Yuka and Sayuri nodded as they quirked their eyebrow at Ranma's reference to herself in the third person. Did Ranma see herself as two people as well? The girls headed back towards the house and were greeted by Sayuri's mother, Ami Moriega. The older woman already knew Akane but was curious about her red haired friend. Akane introduced Ranma as her cousin Ranko who had come to live with her in recent months. Ami accepted that and told the girls that she would bring refreshments up in a little bit. The teenagers smiled and headed for Sayuri's room to put their stuff away and hang their uniforms so they wouldn't be wrinkled the next day.

* * *

><p>The four girls sat on the floor in Sayuri's bedroom all trying to think of what they could do for a physics project when Mrs. Moriega walked in with a tray full of snacks and refreshments. They thanked the woman and told her they were trying to brainstorm ideas for their project when she asked what they were doing. The older woman nodded and informed them that dinner would be around 6:00 before leaving the room.<p>

"I wonder if we could do something that incorporates martial arts", Ranma said thoughtfully after a time.

Yuka and Sayuri rolled their eyes and were about to say something when Akane replied, "Maybe. If we used our Ki-bolts, your Ki-shield or the _Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken_ with real world objects, like desks, books or whatever we could do energy to matter conversions or something."

"I don't think Sensei is really going to want live demonstrations especially if it involves blowing holes in things", Sayuri replied.

"It needs to be something we can all help with and that doesn't mean you two do the moves and we write the report", Yuka said with a grin on her face. The girls then burst out laughing when Ranma pouted.

The four girls continued to bounce ideas back and forth for awhile longer until they decided to take a break and let their minds rest. They were no closer to picking something, however they had eliminated a number of ideas due to impractically or lack of time. It wasn't like their teacher expected something suitable for the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics or anything as they had but two weeks to complete it. After the projects and oral presentations were done it would be time for cram school and finals.

"Ranko", Yuka said suddenly, "You said earlier that there was a story behind your using that name as an alias as opposed to your own. I'd be interesting in hearing about it if you're willing."

"Sure", Ranma replied as she gathered her thoughts for a minute or so. "Okay, in order for this to make sense, or at least some sense, my mother was a very traditional woman with a very rigid idea of what a man was and what a woman was. My father is one of the biggest idiots in all of creation. How those two ever stood one another long enough to produce me is a mystery. How they are together now after everything that has happened is something I think only Kami-sama understands. Anyways, when I was around five years old, Pops wanted to take me on the training trip you've heard about. Well, Mom didn't want to give me up for ten years like any decent parent. Pops somehow got her to agree though with the promise that if I did not come back as a Man amongst Men that both he and I would commit seppuku."

Yuka and Sayuri gasped in shock as Akane shook her head and said, "Auntie Nodoka is insane in her own way, holding a five year old child to a suicide pact."

Ranma sighed and nodded as she said, "I think you know where I'm going with this. When Pops and I were cursed, we had no choice but hide in our cursed forms whenever she would come to visit. I became Ranko Tendo and it hurt me so badly to be with my mother yet not all because of a stupid promise Pops made. In case you aren't aware, the curse seems to attract water to force a change at inconvenient times. There were quite a few times I was changed back while she was there and I nearly lost my head."

"Does she know or do you still have to hide from her?", Yuka asked, her and Sayuri's faces pale as a tear rolled down their cheeks.

"After dodging katana attacks for a few months, finally, I caught a break", the redhead said somberly as one of her own tears rolled down her cheek. "She fell off a cliff and I was able to rescue her. I was a man when she started to fall but because we landed in the ocean I turned into a girl. She realized then her niece and son were the same person. I thought I was dead right then and there but she surprised me by accepting me as her child. Now, she sees me as both her son and daughter and I no longer have to worry about the seppuku contract. I think she decided a Man amongst Men meant someone that was courageous, self sacrificing, loyal and stuff like that, not necessarily a full male."

"That's so horrible what you had to go through, but thank Kami-sama you are alright", Yuka said as she, Sayuri and Akane all wrapped their arms around the newest member to their circle of friendship.

"Thank you", Ranma said as she sniffled. Despite how much better things were for her now, the subject of her mother's attitude and near murderous actions still haunted her nightmares and depressed the hell out of her.

The girls sighed collectively and began talking about more pleasant topics until dinner time.

* * *

><p>After washing up, the quartet entered the dinning room and sat down. Mr. Moriega and Sayuri's younger brother, Kintaro, were already seated. The blond haired boy showed no interest whatsoever in the four girls which suited them just fine. The older man, presumably Sayuri's father, looked dead tired and had just gotten home recently from work. He was dressed in a suit and was probably an executive at a company somewhere. Ami walked in with a tray of food balanced on her head as well as in her arms which surprised Ranma.<p>

Sayuri giggled softly and said, "You look surprised Ranko. You aren't the only one who likes to show off her skills. Mom was part of an acrobatic troupe before she met Dad."

Ranma grinned and said, "That's cool."

The Moriega family as well as Yuka, Ranma and Akane all said simultaneously, "Itadakimasu."

Dinner was peaceful, with light conversation between the girls and Sayuri's mother. Ami asked Ranma a number of questions trying to get to know the redhead since she had never been to her house before. The Saotome heiress answered them as honestly as she could within the confines of her Ranko Tendo persona. Some of her answers drew looks from Akane and the other girls but more because of the way Ranma was spinning the tail. Nothing the redhead was an outright lie but they noticed she bent the truth a lot. It couldn't be helped though given the nature of the redhead's chaotic life and two of the secrets she didn't want exposed under any circumstance. Those secrets being that she had a male body and the fact that she was in love with Akane.

"Ranko dear, do you have a boyfriend?", Ami asked innocently.

Ranma thought for a moment and said, "No Mrs. Moriega. Thanks to a lunatic upperclassman named Tatewaki Kuno, there aren't any boys at Furinkan I would consider dating material. Not all of them are bad, but there aren't any I would be interested in dating either."

"I see", Ami replied as she turned her attention towards Yuka and Akane. "How about you two? Sayuri has already told me something similar to what Ranko said, that she doesn't think many are worth even trying to date because of something called the Hentai Horde."

"Thanks to Kuno", Akane growled softly, "That group of perverts attacked me every morning for weeks before Ranma showed up and helped put a stop to it."

"Ah yes, your fiancé", the chestnut haired woman replied with a smile. "And you Yuka?"

"My opinion mirrors my friends'", Yuka replied sadly. "You know it stinks. High school is when we're supposed to date and enjoy ourselves but thanks to Kuno's actions he's ruined boys for just about everyone. Some of the other girls have their boyfriends back but I just can't see myself dating any of those perverts because of what they've done to one of my best friends."

Mrs. Moriega nodded and suggested a different topic as light conversation ensued until everyone was finished. The older woman excused her daughter and her friends and proceeded to clear the table herself. Normally it was Sayuri's job to clean up the dishes and put them away.

* * *

><p>After dinner was finished, the four girls headed back upstairs. Sayuri crashed onto her bed and sighed. They pulled out their notebooks and tried to work on homework again for awhile knowing that they could take a break and do something fun later. An hour later, four girls closed their books almost at the same time and laid back on the floor groaning with fresh headaches.<p>

"Okay, what are we going to do for entertainment for awhile?", Sayuri asked as she looked around at her three friends.

Akane grinned evilly and said, "We can play truth or dare."

Ranma considered that for a moment and said, "Okay, one condition though."

"What's that?", Yuka asked with a smirk on her lips.

"We leave Sayuri's brother out of this", the redhead replied. "I think I know you well enough that I'm sure one of you would dare me to kiss him or something equally horrifying."

"Aw, you're no fun", Akane replied as she pouted while Yuka and Sayuri giggled softly.

"Fine, anyone else have any other conditions?", Sayuri asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. The reddish brown haired girl grabbed her pen and stood up to determine who would go first. She spun the pen in the air and let it fall to the ground. The pen landed and pointed at Ranma.

The redhead smirked and said, "Yuka, Truth or Dare?"

Yuka frowned for a moment at being picked first but shrugged as she said, "Truth."

"Alright, have you ever wanted to kiss a girl?", Ranma asked, grinning wickedly.

The brown haired girl gasped and silently vowed vengeance as she squeaked out, "Yes."

The other girls raised an eyebrow at that and blushed. Yuka considered for a moment of going after Ranma but then the other two wouldn't be involved. She turned to Akane and said, "Akane, Truth or Dare."

Akane grinned and said, "Dare."

Ranma, Sayuri and Yuka huddled for a moment as they tried to come up with a suitable dare for the youngest Tendo. Yuka smiled and said, "Alright Akane, I dare you to sing for us."

The raven haired girl paled slightly but nodded as she cleared her throat. Akane closed her eyes and began singing a song she had heard on the radio recently. Ranma found herself falling into a trance as she listened to her girlfriend's beautiful voice pierce her heart and warm her body with its magic. When the youngest Tendo was finished, the other girls clapped and the redhead told her how beautiful her voice was.

Akane blushed heavily under the praise and began to think who should be her first victim. She grinned and said, "Sayuri, Truth or Dare?"

Sayuri smiled and said, "Truth."

The raven haired girl nodded and thought for a moment before snapping her fingers as she said, "Who do you want to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with?"

The reddish brown haired girl sighed and said, "Mousse."

The other girls gasped in shock and they said simultaneously, "Mousse?"

Sayuri nodded and said, "I think he's handsome. It helps that he wasn't part of the Hentai Horde even if he has trouble seeing without his glasses. He might be an interesting date if I ever see him again. I asked him a few days ago. He said he'd think about it but I haven't heard back from him since and he wasn't at the Nekohanten the last time I checked."

"Hmm, strange", Ranma said thoughtfully. "Anyways, your turn Sayuri."

"Indeed", the hostess said as she considered her next victim. "Ranma, Truth or Dare."

The redhead smirked and said, "Dare, of course."

"Oh really? You might regret that", Sayuri said evilly as she conferred with Yuka and Akane about what sort of dare to make the gender bender do. After going back and forth over a few options, Sayuri finally said, "Alright Ranma, I dare you to strip tease for us. Once you're naked, you can put on your pajamas."

Ranma stared at her three friends unbelieving what she just heard and said, "Um, isn't that a little perverted?"

"Not really. The three of us change in front of each other every day for gym", Akane said as she shrugged. "You would too if you were in our class."

"Well Ranko", Sayuri said teasingly with a glint in her eye. "Are you going to accept this dare or chicken out?"

Sighing heavily, Ranma stood up and walked over to her hostess's radio and turned it on. She began moving her body in a sensual manner in rhythm with the music as she turned around and slowly unzipped her Chinese top. The girls started cheering as the redhead's creamy skin became visible through the gap in her outfit. Ranma slowly rotated her body and slowly pushed the outfit down her torso revealing her bra covered breasts. Akane could feel her mouth going dry as she watched the blue Chinese dress slip down her girlfriend's body and pool at the redhead's feet. Next, Ranma slowly unhooked her bra as she swayed back and forth dancing to the music as she used her foot to kick the dress over the other girl's heads. When the bra was off she twirled it in her left hand for a few moments as she continued to dance before flinging it to where her dress lay. Moving her hips in what she hoped was a sexy manner, Ranma slowly stripped off her panties and flung them towards the pile as well revealing to everyone she was a natural redhead.

Akane blushed from head to toe as her eyes widened and took in her girlfriend's beautiful naked body. She knew she should look away but couldn't as she licked her lips and felt her womanhood heat up. It was impossible for her not to be aroused by the redhead's form. Yuka and Sayuri were clapping at the successful dare and couldn't help but blush as well. Ranma was blushing from head to toe and didn't take long to grab her clothes and put them back on. She turned off the radio and sat back down in her seat and focused on the floor in front of her.

"Congratulations on winning the first round Ranma", Sayuri said as she giggled softly. "You did the most daring dare I've ever seen anyone do. I don't swing that way myself, but you're very beautiful and you shouldn't be the least bit ashamed of your body. Akane is lucky to have you for her girlfriend."

"Sayuri!", Akane hissed softly as she and Ranma blushed again.

"What?", the reddish brown haired girl replied innocently. "It's true. Ranma's condition aside, you two are girlfriends, maybe even lovers and there is nothing wrong with that. Now, I would suggest we move on to round two but I think we all need to recover for awhile."

"Maybe we should work on homework again, that's bound to kill any arousal any of us are feeling at the moment", Yuka suggested as she tried to get Ranma's naked body out of her mind with limited success. Akane nodded and found it difficult to look at her girlfriend for the time being. Ranma was so embarrassed she couldn't look at any of the other girls at all. Sayuri just giggled at the other's discomfort for a few moments but found it difficult to get Ranma's naked form out of her mind as well.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening alternated between doing homework or working on their project and having fun playing various social games. They wound up playing another round of Truth or Dare where Akane confessed to falling in love with Ranma's girl form pretty much the day they met. She revealed that she felt betrayed when she discovered the cute redhead was actually a boy. Yuka wound up taking a dare to kiss Sayuri since the reddish brown haired girl volunteered as was curious herself. Ranma figured any dare they asked her to do couldn't be as bad as the first one. They had her sing, while not original, they were all curious as to how she sounded. Sayuri took a dare and showed off her dancing prowess in a waltz like style with an imaginary partner. The four girls pondered who won the second round and decided that it might be a tie between Yuka's kiss and Akane's confession.<p>

Finally, it was time for bed and the girls packed up their school supplies and put them away. While Ranma was in the bathroom brushing her teeth, the other three girls changed into their pajamas. Sayuri found three extra futons and set them up in her room. Everyone crawled into their sleeping arrangements and said goodnight to one another.

Akane lay there for a few minutes and listened to everyone else's breathing. Satisfied that Yuka and Sayuri were relaxed enough not to notice, she slipped out of her futon and crawled into the one Ranma was laying in.

"Hey Tomboy", Ranma whispered as she turned on her side so that her girlfriend would have some room.

"Hiya baka", Akane whispered back and she scooted closer to the other girl, their breasts almost touching as they faced one another.

"This is nice", the redhead said softly as she gently stroked Akane's cheek with her fingers. "I think you owe me a striptease though, I'm pretty certain that was your suggestion."

Akane blushed even though it was difficult to tell in the darkness as she said, "I figured it wouldn't really bother you considering how often you used to go around topless."

"I try not to do that anymore", The Saotome heiress replied quietly. "Anyways, you've seen me, when do I get to see you?"

"Soon enough love", the raven haired girl replied as she cupped her girlfriend's face with her hand. The two girls leaned into one another and shared a soft romantic kiss before pulling apart and closing their eyes in order to try to get some sleep.

"I love you", they both said simultaneously.

"G'night Akane."

"G'night Ranma."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _


	13. The Day the Nerima Ward Stood Still

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Twelve

_The Day the Nerima Ward Stood Still_

.

.

(Thursday, February 12th)

Sometime after midnight, Ranma moaned softly as she stirred in her futon. She could feel something pressing itself against her body and slowly opened her eyes. As she struggled to adjust to the darkness that permeated everything, her other senses told her someone was sleeping peacefully next to her and something was touching one of her breasts. The Saotome heiress frowned and lifted the offending hand from her body and climbed out of the futon. Sighing heavily to herself, she noticed a glint of metal and walked towards the door in order to slip out of Sayuri's bedroom.

She walked into the bathroom and snapped on the light switch, making sure to hide her eyes for a few moments so she could adjust to the sudden influx of light. After closing and locking the door, she turned and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Ranma knew she was losing control of her _Soul of Ice_ and watched in resignation as tears slipped down her cheeks while memories of the previous evening appeared in her mind unbidden. Her body began to glow in a soft greenish hue as depression took hold of her.

The Saotome heiress never wanted to do the striptease in the first place since she generally felt uncomfortable stripping in front of other people. The girls had manipulated her by asking if she was a coward when she tried to talk her way out of the challenge. It was just another event in a long list of occurrences in her life. Somewhere, somehow, someone was always trying to manipulate her to get something they wanted with little or no regard for her feelings. Ranma thought she had finally found people that weren't like that but no, realization had come too late yet again.

Ranma had activated the _Soul of Ice_ during her striptease to reduce the amount of embarrassment she would feel only to be completely mortified anyway. The pony tailed martial artist would never forget the lustful look in the tomboy's brown eyes as the girl leered at her body like Kuno and the Hentai Horde did. The redhead shivered violently as she collapsed onto the floor and buried her head in her hands, fresh tears streaking down her tear stained cheeks.

It wasn't just the striptease and the leers that bothered her though. Afterwards, the other girls had demanded she leave the room so they could change like she was still some perverted boy. That was ironic considering they were the perverts, demanding to see her naked body and drooling over it. Ranma felt like a used dishtowel as her heart broke and she felt like part of her soul died. She thought they had accepted her as a real girl only to have them turn around and shun her after she had bared everything, including her soul, to them. The _Soul of Ice_ she had been maintaining didn't just continue to crumble, it shattered outright into a million pieces of glass, slicing her heart and soul to ribbons.

'_How can they treat me like that? I thought Akane loved me while Yuka and Sayuri were my friends_', she thought bitterly as she stood up and glared at her reflection in the mirror. She clenched her fists as despair turned to anger and watched as her aura shifted slightly to include a reddish hue to the base green color. The red haired girl wanted to scream her anguish but didn't want to take the household. She settled for digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands until blood oozed between her fingers instead. Ignoring the pain and feeling somewhat drained, the redhead rested her hands on the counter, leaving two bloody palm prints.

The redhead stared at her reflection and wondered how long her so called girlfriend and friends had been manipulating her, just like everyone else she knew in her pathetic life. She was a fool to believe Akane ever loved her. It seemed as though their entire courtship was nothing more than a way for the girl to explore her lesbian nature without incriminating herself. Now that the raven haired girl knew about Yuka's curiosity about girls and herself in particular, the youngest Tendo would probably dump her like a bad piece of meat and pursue her friend rather than some gender bending freak.

'_I was just a joke to them, someone they could watch and laugh at as I jumped through their hoops. They don't really care about me after all_', Ranma thought bitterly as she sighed before walking over towards the bathtub. She turned on the faucet and began filling the tub with hot water, figuring maybe she could soak and allow her emotions to drain themselves away. She wasn't bleeding bad enough to die even if that was what she felt like doing at the moment to remove the pain of their betrayal. The door was locked so she wouldn't have to worry about anyone walking in on her and finding a man where there should be a girl.

The red haired girl stopped filling the tub and went back to Sayuri's bedroom to fetch her two bags, using the light from the hallway to navigate around Akane and Yuka's slumbering forms. She knelt down next to the raven haired girl and sighed, hoping desperately that her thoughts earlier were wrong. She wanted nothing more than to be loved by the youngest Tendo and be friends with Yuka and Sayuri, just as she thought they were before the slumber party. Ranma looked at Akane's face and noticed a small smile on the girl's lips. The redhead gently cupped the raven haired girl's face with her bloodied hands as she leaned over and gently kissed the other girl on her lips for old time's sake.

"Yuka...", Akane said softly after the redhead began to stand up again.

Ranma felt her heart shatter into a million more pieces, piercing her heart and soul a thousand times worse than what she had felt earlier when her _Soul of Ice_ fell apart. Clenching her bags even tighter in her hands, the red haired girl stormed out of Sayuri's room and returned to the bathroom where she closed and locked the door again.

"I can't... I love Ranma, you know that...", The raven haired girl pleaded softly as her hand reached for her girlfriend. Akane's face contorted into a frown when her mind subconsciously told her that the person who had kissed her was gone. The youngest Tendo began drifting towards wakefulness while her dream continued to play out in her mind. In the dream, Yuka had confessed and tried to kiss her. She backed up and said she couldn't return the brown haired girl's feelings because she was in love with Ranma.

Meanwhile, Ranma was in the bathroom trying to wrestle with her raging emotions and failing miserably. Her aura had died down when she had left the bathroom but she quickly found herself staring at her bloodied face with the lime green aura firmly in place again. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about how dreamily Akane had said the other girl's name. The brown eyed girl was dreaming about Yuka, not her which confirmed her earlier conclusions. The experiment was over and the youngest Tendo would pursue her friend since both of them liked one another.

'_Damn you Akane. After everything we've been through together..._', Ranma thought heatedly before punching the mirror and shattering it into a hundred pieces, slicing up her hand. The red haired girl barely noticed the pain or free flowing blood and screamed in a murderous rage.

* * *

><p>Akane, Yuka, Sayuri and the rest of the Moriega family jolted awake at the sound of a soprano voice snarling a vicious epithet directed at the Tendo girl. None of them actually knew what Ranma had said though since it was her sudden shout that brought them out of dreamland.<p>

The raven haired girl sleepily reached out for her girlfriend figuring the redhead was having a nightmare only to find no one there. She frowned as she climbed out of her futon and snapped on the light. She looked around and found no trace of the girl she loved, even her bags were gone. Yuka and Sayuri gasped when they saw the blood on their friend's face.

"Where's Ranma?", Akane asked in concern, wanting to embrace and comfort her girlfriend.

"What happened to your face Akane?", Yuka asked, worry clearly evident for her friend.

"Huh?", the youngest Tendo asked as her hands touched her cheeks. When she brought her hands away and looked at them she knitted her eyebrows in confusion. Why was there blood on her face? "Never mind that, we need to find Ranma."

As the three girls left Sayuri's bedroom they noticed blood on the door handle. They deduced that Ranma probably cut her hand somehow and either didn't know or care. After cutting her hand, she must have come back to the younger Moriega's bedroom. Maybe she wanted to kiss her girlfriend so she placed her hands on Akane's cheeks before what, going to the bathroom? Did she slit her wrists trying to commit suicide?

Akane dismissed the questions and charged down the hall coming to a halt outside the bathroom. She tried the door and found that it was locked. Sayuri's parents walked up and looked at one another, wondering what could be happening. The youngest Tendo knocked on the door and said, "Ranko?"

"What's going on?", Ami asked concern in her voice as she noticed the blood on the raven haired girl's face. "Akane? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's Ranko we need to be worried about", the raven haired girl replied as she knocked on the door again and said in concern, "Ranko? Are you alright?"

Inside the bathroom, a male Ranma was soaking in the tub, watching in morbid curiosity as his blood flowed out of his slashed right hand that colored the bath water pink. He heard someone knock on the door but ignored it, figuring they would go away when they found the door was locked. The knock came again, accompanied by his fiancée's voice.

'_She sounds worried_', Ranma thought to himself and snorted in contempt. Like the tomboy would ever love him, and her, ever again since she had Yuka. '_How did she manage to fool me for so long? I guess I really wanted to believe she could love me and I was blinded to the truth. The truth that I was nothing more than a safe experiment to her. I should have left while I had the chance. Now I'm stuck here until they give up and go back to bed. I have no reason to stay in Nerima anymore either, guess I'll leave after the trials._'

'_Could I be jumping to conclusions or is she faking the concern now trying to suck me back in?_', Ranma thought to himself as doubt seeped into his mind.

"Ranko?", Akane said from out in the hallway before begging, "Will you please open the door? I just want to talk. Please..."

'_Talk huh, that's code for "I want to tell you something and you are so clueless that you'll believe it and I can have my playmate back until Yuka and I are more of an item"_', the black haired boy thought bitterly. '_Why should I trust you Akane? You've already broken my heart, do you want what's left of my soul too?_'

"Mom, Dad, Kintaro", Sayuri said softly as she pulled her family aside while her friend was trying to get Ranma to open the door. "Why don't you all back to bed. We can handle this."

"What's going on Sayuri?", Ami asked in concern.

"Ranko has nightmares sometimes thanks to her idiot father's training methods years ago", she replied quietly. "Akane is usually pretty good at calming her down so please, just let us handle it alright?"

"Okay honey", Mrs. Moriega said as she and her husband headed back towards their bedroom. Kintaro nodded his head and left to return to his bedroom, wondering what sort of nightmare the pretty girl could have had until the comment about her father registered. He shuddered but put it out of his mind, it's not like anyone would ever tell him if it was true or not and she was too old for him anyway.

"Yuka, Sayuri", Akane said softly as she stepped away from the door. "She might be reluctant to open the door as long as anyone but me is nearby. Will you two please go back to your room for a bit until I can get through to her?"

"Are you sure Akane?", Yuka asked in concern as she laid a hand on her friend's arm.

Akane stepped back so that her friend's hand fell off her arm and nodded. Yuka and Sayuri traded glances, unsure what to make of the situation. Their friend had never shown such an unwillingness to be touched by them before, something was definitely wrong. Sighing heavily, the two friends left and headed back towards Sayuri's bedroom leaving Akane alone outside the bathroom.

Ranma groaned when he heard someone knocking again after five minutes of peace. Why can't they go back to bed and leave him alone? Haven't they hurt him enough. Maybe they want to apologize and make sure you're alright, a small voice commented from deep inside. Right, like they would ever do that, at least sincerely. He would not listen to their honeyed words that hid the dagger within, ready to stab him in the back again.

The black haired boy sighed and was about to shout 'Go away' when he remembered that he needed to be Ranko Tendo. Muttering under his breath a few choice words about treacherous uncute tomboys and their friends, he climbed out of the tub and walked over towards the sink. He ran the tap long enough to revert back to his female form and wrapped a towel around her body. There was no way she was going to provide her ex-girlfriend another nude show.

"Ranko?", Akane asked again as she knocked gently, worry clearly in her voice as her mind conjured up images of her fiancé bleeding to death in the bathtub.

Ranma stared at the wall where the mirror used to be and sighed. She knew she would have to apologize and offer to replace the mirror. It certainly wasn't the Moriega's fault she lost control in a fit of rage and they did open their home to her. The redhead scowled and thought, '_Damn PMS. Damn Akane and her two friends... Damn everything!_'

"Ranko please, you're scaring me", Akane pleaded from out in the hallway, prepared to break the door down if necessary. "Why are you ignoring me? What could I have done that would make you want to kill yourself? Don't you know how much I love you?"

Suddenly the door flew open and Ranma stood there in the doorway wrapped in a towel, her blood red aura blazing around her as she sneered, "Love? Ha! You never loved me. You used me to see if you wanted to be in a lesbian relationship with your best friend Yuka."

"W-what?", Akane said as she staggered backwards from the hate and rage surrounding her girlfriend.

"You heard me, now go away before I do something else I regret", the Saotome heiress snarled as she lifted up her badly cut and still bleeding right hand.

Akane looked passed her furious fiancé for a moment and noticed the mirror was gone before her eyes settled on the redhead's hand. She gasped and said, "Ranko, you're bleeding!"

"So? This is nothing compared to what you've done to my heart you bitch", Ranma replied before stepping back and slamming the door in the tomboy's face.

"W-what?", the youngest Tendo stammered as she collapsed onto her knees, burying her face in her hands. Akane felt her heart break at the redhead's hurtful words as tears cascaded down her blood stained cheeks. Slowly, she climbed to her feet and shuffled slowly to Sayuri's bedroom, more confused than ever. Perhaps she should talk to the other girls about it and between the three of them they could figure out why Ranma was acting the way she was. It was obvious the redhead wouldn't tell her.

Ranma paced back and forth inside the bathroom, carefully avoiding the broken glass on the floor as she tried to order her thoughts. Akane seemed genuinely surprised and confused when she had accused the girl of pretending to love her. The comment about Yuka seemed to throw the tomboy for a loop as well, was it possible she was wrong? If she was, oh boy, she might have just driven away the one person she truly loved, possibly into the arms of the girl she was afraid of losing her to. The Saotome heiress knelt down on the floor and stared into some of the larger mirror fragments, searching her shattered heart for answers as tears once again cascaded down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>"Akane?", Yuka said in surprise when the dark haired girl trudged into the room they were sharing. She, along with Sayuri immediately rushed up and embraced their friend trying to calm her down and asked her what was wrong.<p>

"R-Ranma hates me", Akane said brokenly as she collapsed on the ground, bringing her friends down with her. She body shook as she cried into her friends' shoulders. Yuka and Sayuri gently rubbed their friend's back and continued to make soothing noises.

"What happened?", Sayuri asked softly.

The raven haired girl leaned back and said, "At first she was ignoring me and I thought maybe she was trying to kill herself. I pleaded with her to open the door but it wasn't until I told her that I loved her that she nearly blasted the door off of its hinges."

"And?", Yuka prompted gently.

"She accused me of never loving her, that I was just using her to see if I would be comfortable in a lesbian relationship", Akane replied as a fresh set of tears ran down her face.

"Oh Kami", the brown haired girl said as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "I never should have admitted I was attracted to you."

"Probably", Sayuri said thoughtfully, "I'm willing to bet there is more going on here than just that though."

"Well, before Ranma screamed and woke us up I was having a dream where you were coming on to me", Akane said as she looked at Yuka. "I probably said your name out loud and she thought... Oh Kami no, please no..."

Yuka nodded and said, "She thought you were dreaming about me instead of her and given what she said... How could she really think that though? You two have been together for nearly two years."

"Remember Yuka, they fought with one another for most of that", Sayuri replied as she stood up and started to pace. "Meanwhile we've been Akane's friend for a long time now. Thanks to the Truth or Dare game we played last night, you've confessed to being curious about girls in general and Akane in particular even though it was me you kissed."

Sayuri paused for a moment to collect her thoughts and turned towards Akane before continuing. "Remember you hated boys thanks to Kuno and the Horde for a long time. Maybe Ranma believed you never liked him as a him at all, but rather her. You weren't sure you were a lesbian though and he offers you a unique way to find out without blowing your cover. Now that you're sure and you know one of your best friends likes you, Ranma is afraid she's going to lose you to the girl you knew longer that doesn't change gender or used to insult you."

Akane listened with wide eyes as she considered her friend's words. "If that was it, wouldn't she talk to me about it rather than push me away and possibly into the arms of another girl?"

"There has to be more going on here", Yuka replied softly as she lowered her eyes in shame for inadvertently driving a wedge between two of her friends. "Based on her actions, she seems to not only be heartbroken, but incredibly pissed too. Let's see if we can't figure out where her mood went south and what is really going on."

"Alright", Akane said as she stood up and began pacing as well. "Let's review everything that happened between yesterday afternoon and now."

"She was in high spirits when we arrived here", Yuka replied hesitantly. "She told us to call her Ranko so I doubt that has anything to do with it."

"We worked on homework and our project half the night, so it wasn't that", Sayuri said thoughtfully. "We already know the Truth or Dare game has something to do with it because of Yuka's confession..."

"Do you want to know why I'm upset?", Ranma asked dejectedly from the doorway, dressed in her red Chinese shirt and black pants with her right hand bandaged.

"Ranma!", Akane said as she surged to her feet and rushed forward to hug her girlfriend.

"Don't", Ranma said as she stepped backwards and put her hands up in a warding gesture.

Akane stopped and bowed her head as she said sadly, "Ranma... What did I do? What did we do?"

Ranma turned around and closed the door before walking over and sitting on Sayuri's bed. Akane tried to sit next to her but the redhead shook her head and pointed towards the floor. The raven haired girl nodded sadly and sat down on the floor, as did Sayuri and Yuka.

"You're right", Ranma said slowly in a quiet tone, "I was happy when I came here, even while we were working on homework because I believed you were my friends. It felt so nice to be finally accepted as a real girl only it didn't last, just like every other good thing that's ever happened to me in my life."

"What do you mean? We're still your friends if you'll let us", Sayuri said which earned her a glare from the petite redhead sitting on her bed.

"You never fully accepted me and that was painfully obvious after that horrible Truth or Dare game..."

"If you didn't want to play...", Akane interrupted only to shut her mouth at the harsh glare she received from her girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, she wasn't sure which at the moment and felt her heart break. She didn't want to lose the love of her life under any circumstance but she could see the distance growing between them. Akane knew she was going to have to do something really special to apologize to the other girl, but what she wasn't sure, assuming the redhead would even let her try.

"If you want to know what's bothering me, quit interrupting and listen", Ranma growled angrily as she closed her eyes in frustration and despair.

The other three girls fidgeted in their seated positions but nodded silently as they waited for the smaller girl to continue.

The pony tailed martial artist took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to re-center herself for a couple of minutes. In a much calmer voice, she said, "I'm not really sure how to do this. I'm upset with you three, but I'm also upset with myself and how I've acted lately. I feel like I need to apologize to you, but don't know whether I should do that or explain why I'm upset first."

"Why don't you tell us why you're upset so we can work on fixing it", Akane said hesitantly as she looked up at her girlfriend with her beautiful brown eyes that shimmered with unshed tears. "You may not have anything to apologize for once we understand what's going on."

"What she said", Yuka and Sayuri chorused as they looked up at the redhead expectantly.

Ranma nodded and sighed, her anger flowing out of her as she looked at the other girls' hopeful faces. '_I wonder if I've blown this way out of proportion and it's all in my head after all. Maybe it's a ploy to suck me back in but for some reason I doubt it. They look sad, especially Akane. Is it possible I'm wrong and she really love me after all?_'

The Saotome heiress closed her eyes for a moment and said, "Before I start, I need to apologize to you, Yuka, since it relates directly to one of my issues. I never should have asked you that question in the Truth or Dare game. If I hadn't, maybe you all wouldn't have dared me to strip, or maybe you would have, I don't know. I'm so sorry Yuka, will you forgive me?"

"Of course I'll forgive you Ranma, you're my friend after all", Yuka replied as her face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Actually, on some level I'm glad you asked me that. You gave me the courage I needed to admit to myself something I've felt deep down for quite awhile. I'm just sorry I confessed to the part about having a crush on your girlfriend which I'm sure contributed a fair amount to the current issue."

Ranma nodded sadly and said, "I really didn't want to do the striptease dare you all demanded that I do. Maybe demand isn't the right word but it's how it felt to me. I tried to back out and I was called a coward if I refused the challenge. At that point I felt like I was being manipulated, something like Cologne and Nabiki loved to do to me with no regard for my feelings at all. You know how uncomfortable I am changing in front of other people but you insisted I do it anyway. To make matters worse, it wasn't just a quick strip and change like you do in the locker room where you don't pay much attention to your classmates. No, you were leering at me like I was a piece of meat, like Kuno and the Hentai Horde do and it made me incredibly uncomfortable. In that instant, I felt like I had lost you as friends and was demoted to an object to lust after, which is how Shampoo, Kodachi and Ukyo made me feel. I think we all know by now how much I hated that."

Akane bowed her head in shame, knowing most of that was really directed at her without calling her out specifically. She knew Ranma was right, the way she had stared at the other girl was more like what Kuno and the other boys had done to her. Even though she was madly in love with the redhead, she should have respected the girl enough not to stare like she did. She suspected there was at least one more thing that was bothering her.

"Ranma", the raven haired girl said hesitantly. "If you want to call me a pervert and hit me, go right ahead. I deserve it. You never stared at me the way I did you and I'm sorry. I should have realized how much you would hate to do a striptease as shy as you are. Despite your lack of feminine modesty when you first showed up on my doorstop, you've changed completely and I never should tried to force you to do that."

"Thanks for the offer Akane", Ranma said with a smirk on her lips. "I won't take you up on it though. I don't want to call you a pervert or hit you outside of training, just as I hope you'll refrain from doing the same to me. Anyways, it's getting late but I still have more I would like to say..."

The girls nodded and Sayuri said, "Please continue Ranma. I'd rather we got this resolved now than allow it fester worse than it already has."

"I think I know what's next", Akane said as she wiped some of the tears from her eyes and Ranma raised one of her eyebrows. "After we were done with the Truth or Dare game, where you had bared everything to us, we kicked you out of the room so that we could change. I realize now just how much of an insult that must have felt like to you and I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry", Yuka and Sayuri chorused together.

"It occurred to me while you were talking about how you felt about stripping and how it wasn't a quick strip like we did in the locker room", the Tendo girl said slowly. "Until that moment, we had been treating you like a regular girl and you felt accepted. Then, suddenly we're treating you like a boy, a pervert..."

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?", Ranma asked suddenly as her shimmering eyes released some of their moisture and the tears rolled down her face.

"I'm getting an idea", Akane replied sadly as she lowered her eyes. "After all, it's not like you would have stared at us or anything like we did you. If you'll give me another chance, I promise I'll treat you like the girl you really are from now on. I've been wanting to get closer to you physically and it shouldn't be a big deal for us to change in front of one another anymore. Ranma, do you mind if sit next to you or would you rather I stay down here?"

"Depends", the redhead replied sternly, with no trace of a smile on her lips as her eyes bored into the raven haired girl's soul.

"On?", the Tendo girl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whether or not you really love me", Ranma replied in her same no-nonsense tone as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If you truly love me, and weren't just using me to see how you liked being in a relationship with another girl, then come up here and kiss me like you really mean it. You know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, let me know now so I can leave your lying ass and Nerima behind forever, seeing as how without you I have nothing worth staying for."

Akane grinned as she sent a quick 'thank you' to the powers of the universe for giving her another chance with the girl she truly loved. She stood up without hesitation and launched herself at the redhead sitting on her friend's bed. As their bodies collided with one another, Ranma felt her girlfriend's soft lips press themselves against hers in one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared. Akane pressed her body into the smaller girl's and they moaned into one another's mouth, both of them starving for the affection of the other. The raven haired girl slipped her tongue into Ranma's mouth and they fenced back and forth for a few moments. The redhead could feel her heart opening up within her chest as she reached out with her Ki to intertwine with that of her girlfriend. Akane felt her heart swell and found her Ki searching for its mate and couldn't help but feel ecstatic when it found it. The girls continued to enjoy their Soul Kiss as their life energies snaked around one another, bonding them together in a brilliant sphere of white, pink and red energy.

Yuka and Sayuri gasped at the sight in front of them and sat on the floor mesmerized as they watched the lovers passionately kiss one another. Suddenly the sphere of color appeared around them which not only surprised the two non-martial artist but scared them as well. Their jaws dropped and their eyes bugged out at the display, not sure what to make of it. They relaxed as a sense of peace, warmth and love flowed around them.

Sayuri turned to her companion and said softly, "I don't think Akane is going to be available any time in the foreseeable future."

"That's alright", Yuka replied with a smile on her face. "I'm glad she's finally happy, she deserves it. I'll find someone, whether that someone is a boy or a girl, I don't know yet."

Akane broke the kiss as she sat up and asked between pants, "So Ranma, still think I don't love you or have been using you as an experiment all this time?"

Ranma grinned sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. When I heard you call for your friend in your sleep after I kissed you..."

"You baka", the Tendo girl said playfully as she lightly slapped the redhead, "If you had bothered to stay longer than half a second you would have heard me tell her I couldn't return her feelings because I was in love with you."

"So, do you?", the Saotome heiress asked playfully as her blue eyes danced.

"Do I what", Akane asked teasingly as her brown eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Love you?"

Ranma nodded and the other girls just rolled their eyes.

"Yes Ranma. I've loved you for a long time now and I will always love you", the raven haired girl replied and kissed her girlfriend again for a few moments.

"Okay you two, quit making out on my bed", Sayuri said teasingly as she and Yuka stood up to return to their perspective sleeping arrangements.

Ranma and Akane giggled softly and moved away from the bed. The four girls regarded one another carefully. Ranma bowed her head and said contritely, "I'm really sorry I nearly ruined our friendships with my anger and insecurities. Can you ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive love", Akane said gently as she embraced her girlfriend lovingly. Yuka and Sayuri added their arms to the mix and agreed with Akane's statement. "We never stopped being you friend. We were just very confused by your actions but I'm glad we were able to sort things out before it destroyed our relationship. You mean too much to me and I never want to risk losing you ever again. Tell you what, if you ever want to striptease again, it'll only be for me okay? I haven't forgotten that I owe you one as well."

"Akane...", Ranma growled softly without a hint of malice in her playful tone. The other girls giggled as she grinned and said, "I look forward to it."

The red haired girl broke the hug and adopted a somber expression on her face as she said, "Sayuri, I owe you and your family an apology. You've been a wonderful hostess and I destroyed your bathroom mirror in a fit of jealous rage. I'm really sorry and I'll pay for the damage. Don't go in there barefoot, there's still glass everywhere."

"I wondered what happened to your hand", the reddish brown haired girl replied as she crawled back into her bed. "I think we should get some sleep now since we have school tomorrow. We'll deal with the mirror in the morning."

Yuka nodded and climbed into her futon, glad that the tension was gone and the four of them were friends again. She knew she had to let go of the crush she had on Akane as the girl would never leave the redhead's side. She had no idea what the future would bring but she was determined to face it knowing herself a little better thanks to a certain question in a game of Truth or Dare.

Ranma climbed into her futon, fully expecting Akane to join her once she shut off the light. She was not surprised or disappointed when she felt the tomboy's body next to her own. The two girls lay on their sides facing one another.

"Hopefully you'll dream about me this time", the redhead said softly as she stared into her girlfriend's brown eyes.

"When are you going to let that go?", Akane asked in subdued tones. She didn't want to go bed angry. The Tendo girl resented the fact that the redhead thought she truly didn't love her. The whole notion that she was using Ranma as practice so she could be with Yuka? Ridiculous...

"I hope that's the last time I think about it", Ranma replied sincerely. "I don't want to doubt you, or us, ever again. I'm so sorry..."

"Ranma, stop apologizing already", the raven haired girl said exasperatedly as she reached out to take Ranma's free hand. "We both made mistakes. We've talked it out like we promised each other, even if you flew off the handle for awhile there, and we're back together where we belong. Let's just take what we can from this experience and move on, together."

"I love you so much Akane", Ranma said softly, her voice breaking.

"I love you too Ranma and don't you dare ever forget that again", Akane said sternly before leaning forward and kissing her girlfriend softly on the lips for a few moments before settling to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Hours later, four girls were awakened by a loud squawking sound coming from a small alarm clock near Sayuri's bed. Four pairs of eyes blinked in annoyance as a certain hand shot out and silenced the noisy device. Yuka yawned as she stretched lazily in her bed, mumbling about sleeping another five minutes. Ranma and Akane climbed out of their futon, just in case the elder woman decided to check up on them. Sayuri casually sat up, rubbing her eyes as she stretched.<p>

"Good morning everyone", Ranma said as she traded a few kisses with her girlfriend. She turned her attention to Sayuri and asked, "Is your mother up? I need to talk to her about the mirror, preferably before..."

"Oh my God! What the hell happened here?", shouted a feminine voice from down the hallway.

"Well, so much for that", the redhead said as she hung her head and left the room to explain herself. The other girls giggled softly and shook their heads as they got up and dressed for school.

* * *

><p>Breakfast at the Moriega's was a little subdued that morning. None of the girls wanted to talk about the problem during the night that started with a scream and ended with a shattered mirror. Due to the glass, everyone was forced to use the master bathroom which slowed things down considerably. Finally, everyone gathered around the table trying to eat quickly, as the children had to get to school and the father had to go to work.<p>

"Mrs. Moriega", Ranma said softly as the mother was cleaning up her husband's dishes. "I'm really sorry I destroyed the bathroom mirror. It is unseemly for a guest to behave in such a manner and I have dishonored myself with my actions. I'll understand if you never want to see me again after I have repaid you."

"Ranko", Ami said sternly. "Quit apologizing already. We already discussed this and found an equitable solution, why are you bringing it up again?"

"That was in private to the matriarch of the household", the redhead replied quietly as she looked down at the table in shame. "I felt I needed to apologize publicly as well."

"Well don't", the older woman said as she sighed. "As for never seeing you again, I hope you don't mean that. So long as you and Sayuri are friends, you will always be welcome in this house."

"Thank you Mrs. Moriega", Ranma replied as she looked at her three friends who all nodded their heads and smiled.

After Kintaro left the table, Ami motioned for the girls to stay for a moment and then nodded towards Ranma and said, "Ranko has offered to stay behind and clean the entire house in penance for her actions last night. She should be finished by the time you're done with school for the day. I'm assuming you're coming back here to get your overnight bags before returning home correct?"

Yuka and Akane nodded.

"Ranko", the mother said gently, "Once the girls leave you can get started. I won't deny you your friends while they're still here."

Ranma nodded and the four girls went upstairs so that three of them could grab their book bags.

Yuka turned towards the couple and winked as she said, "If you two are going to kiss, now would be the best time to get it out of your systems before we head downstairs again."

Akane and Ranma blushed slightly and nodded as the other two girls stepped back into the hallway, ready to head downstairs and go to school. The couple looked at one another and embraced as they murmured heartfelt words of love to one another before pulling back slightly and kissing one another softly. They held the kiss for a minute and reluctantly separated when they heard a knock on Sayuri's door. Both girls looked away from one another and blushed as they struggled to temper their emotions.

* * *

><p>The four girls walked downstairs and Ranma waved to them as they left before returning to the kitchen to get started on her morning chores. She donned an apron and regarded the hot water warily. How was she going to keep her secret if she had to wash them? Finding a pair of heavy duty plastic gloves, she slipped them on before finding some strong rubber bands to keep the water from contacting her skin as much as possible.<p>

'_Please Kami let this work_', Ranma prayed silently. The last thing the redhead needed was to have her curse exposed. She might be turning into a girl in mind as well as body but the second her male form was exposed she would be branded a pervert and banished from the house. Even though her girlfriend and two best friends knew all about her dark secret, Ranma didn't think the Moriega matriarch would be quite so understanding.

'_Male side_', the Saotome heiress smirked to herself as she paused in contemplation. '_I really am becoming a different person in this form than I used to be. My male form would never have become best friends with two regular girls, been interested in singing karaoke or shopping and the real clincher, consider cutting back on martial arts in order to learn how to play a musical instrument. Maybe I'm becoming Ranko after all..._'

Twenty harrowing minutes passed before Ranma was finally done washing the dishes in hot water. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, she stripped off the gloves and proceeded to rinse and dry each dish before putting it away in the proper cupboard or drawer.

The rest of Ranma's morning was set to be fairly mundane cleaning the house now that the most dangerous job was out of the way. First, she cleaned up the second bathroom going over the floor with a vacuum cleaner at least a dozen times trying to make sure every piece of glass was removed. Hearing al of the noise the fragments made as they were sucked up, she was amazed she didn't get glass in her feet the night before. Once the bathroom was done, she vacuumed the rest of the house, including the master bedroom and Sayuri's younger brother's room.

'_What a slob_', Ranma thought to herself as she wrinkled her nose in disgust seeing the pigsty Kintaro called his room. '_I guess this is what happens when you have stuff though. Despite living at the Tendo's for nearly two years I still don't have much so its not hard to keep the room cleaned up._'

A few hours and many chores later, Ami walked up behind Ranma and said, "Ranko, would you like to take a break and have some lunch?"

"Sure, thanks", the redhead replied as she put her dust rag in one of the pockets of the apron she was wearing. "I think I'm about halfway done with the dusting. I still have the windows left to do and then I believe I'll be done with your list."

"Really? Wow, you're very quick indeed", Mrs. Moriega said with a slight laugh as the two of them headed for the kitchen. "It usually takes me a couple of days to do my spring cleaning. Then again, I tend to take quite a few breaks too."

The next half hour went by fairly quickly as Ranma and Ami ate lunch together. The redhead told the older woman about some of her past as well as some thoughts for her future. All in all it was very pleasant and Ami told her about her acrobatic troupe days. After lunch was finished, Ranma went back to work while Mrs. Moriega picked up her book again to read in the living room.

A couple of hours later, Ranma looked up from an entertainment magazine she was reading when Yuka, Sayuri and Akane walked in through the door. They deposited their shoes in the entryway and turned to see the redhead as well as Sayuri's mother sitting in comfortable chairs reading.

"Welcome back", Mrs. Moriega and Ranma said simultaneously in greeting.

Akane turned to look at her girlfriend and smiled teasingly as she said, "Please tell me you haven't been relaxing all day while I've been stuck in school."

Ranma grinned and stood up as she dropped the magazine back on a stack of reading material. Arching her back as she stretched, the smaller girl said, "I just got finished cleaning up the house not that long ago actually. Now that you're back, shall we get ready for our trip to the mall?"

The girls nodded and headed upstairs. Yuka, Akane and Ranma all grabbed their overnight bags as Sayuri said she would meet them there in about an hour. The other girls nodded and left the Moriega residence after thanking their hostess for allowing them to stay for the evening. Yuka headed back towards her apartment while Ranma and Akane headed for the Tendo residence.

* * *

><p>The couple talked idly on their way home, Akane describing her boring school day and what assignments the redhead missed. Ranma related what she had done at the Moriega residence all morning including her harrowing ordeal washing dishes with hot water and how she managed to avoid changing. Akane was impressed and definitely thought she was better off going to school after all. The two girls giggled softly at that.<p>

"Ranma", the raven haired girl said as she stopped the two of them. "Will you go out on a date with me tonight?"

The redhead grinned and said, "I would love to. Do you have something specific in mind?"

"As a matter of fact I do", Akane said as she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and dragged her into a nearby alley. The Tendo girl reached behind the smaller girl's head and pulled her closer until their lips met. They kissed one another somewhat passionately for a few minutes before separating, their cheeks flushed.

"That's nothing compared to what I have planned for you", Akane said and Ranma gasped as her mind started providing her with some interesting, if not perverted, images of what the girl might have in mind. The raven haired girl continued, "Leave everything to me. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is making sure you bring that hot body of yours with you."

Ranma's face burned bright red and Akane giggled before grabbing her hand again so they could head home.

* * *

><p>"We're home", Akane and Ranma announced as they walked in through the front door. They walked into the family room and found Genma and Soun in the same position the men always seem to be in, locked in the never ending game of "Anything Goes Shogi". Nodoka was reading on the couch and greeted the two girls with a smile on her face. She asked how the slumber party went. The two girls traded glances and nodded, before turning back to the Saotome matriarch and saying it was fine and that they made good progress on their project. The men grunted a greeting though the girls hardly paid them any heed anyway.<p>

"Is Kasumi around?", Akane asked while Ranma headed upstairs.

"I believe she went shopping for dinner supplies and should be back within the hour", Nodoka replied. "Do you need to speak to her specifically or can I help?"

The raven haired girl knelt besides her future mother-in-law and motioned with her head towards the fathers as she whispered, "I wanted to tell her Ranma and I won't be here for dinner because we're going out tonight. Since I'm still annoyed with those two and don't feel like hearing them celebrate the joining of the schools, I wanted to let you know quietly."

"Yes, they are rather annoying at times aren't they", the Saotome woman said as she giggled softly.

"What are you two talking about over there?", Genma asked, only barely interested.

"Nothing that concerns you husband, but if you must know, girl talk", Nodoka replied with a huge grin on her face. The two women watched as the part time panda's face blanched and burst out laughing. A few moments later, the coppery haired woman composed herself and said, "Don't worry Akane, I'll take care of it."

"Thanks Auntie", Akane said as she stood up and headed for her bedroom so she could put her bags away and change out of her uniform into something more suitable for window shopping and karaoke at the mall.

Akane hung the pink dress she wore the previous day in her closet as she considered what to she wanted to wear for the next few hours. The tomboy figured Ranma would wear her normal Chinese shirt and pants like she usually did and that would be fine for the first part of their date. The second part, which included a classy restaurant, was much too nice to wear casual clothes to. She knew they would have to come back to change unless she wanted to carry both dresses, shoes, and other things with her the entire time they were at the mall and the movies.

'_Nah_', the Tendo girl thought to herself as she stripped out of her school uniform. '_We should be able to get out of here without any problems, especially if Auntie Nodoka distracts them. It doesn't really matter if Nabiki or Kasumi know. In fact it would be nice for them to see us off._'

The raven haired girl slipped into a pair of blue jeans and a pink long sleeved shirt before grabbing a light jacket and heading for Ranma's room. On her way there she thought how nice it would be nice to have a picture of the two of them in their evening gowns and resolved to ask Nabiki about it later. She knocked on the door to her girlfriend's room and didn't get an answer. She opened the door and saw no trace of the red haired girl. Shrugging, she figured Ranma was downstairs and went to go find her.

* * *

><p>Sayuri and Yuka were waiting outside the mall when Ranma and Akane walked up to them. The four girls greeted one another with platonic hugs and walked inside. After window shopping for awhile, they made their way to a music store that had a few karaoke rooms in the back. Unlike Yoshino's store where the couple had looked at violins and guitars the previous day, this store had hundreds of records and cassette tapes along with other electronic musical equipment.<p>

After looking around the store for a bit and not finding any music they absolutely had to have at the moment, they asked the proprietor if they could use the back rooms. The older man smiled and nodded before telling them how to operate the machine and how much it was for an hour. The girls nodded as they each pulled out some money and handed it to the man who then told them that the room would be ready in a minute.

Akane, Ranma, Yuka and Sayuri all walked into the room and started discussing who would be first.

"Well, Akane and I sang last night so I think we should be able to hear you two first", Ranma said as she leaned back in the couch and put her feet up on the table.

"I'd have to agree with my little redhead here", Akane said teasingly. Ranma protested only marginally but quieted down when her girlfriend leaned over and captured her lover's lips for a few moments.

"Oh come on, you two aren't seriously going to do that the whole time are you? We may be happy you're a couple and all but sheesh, do that in private", Sayuri said exasperatedly as she and Yuka rolled their eyes in annoyance and maybe a little more than a hint of jealousy. The couple blushed and nodded mutely, sufficiently chastised for making out in public.

The next fifty minutes were filled with music, laughter and an all around good time as the four girls took turns singing to each other. About half of that time was spent with each girl singing solo. They sang mostly about love and relationships but not always. Akane and Ranma sang a couple of duets which caused Yuka and Sayuri to groan since they were sappy love songs. Finally, the four girls decided to do a song as a quartet to finish off the hour.

Ranma was flipping thought the catalog when she stumbled upon a song she vaguely remembered from one of the Tendo's Christmas parties. She read through the lyrics and smiled, it was perfect. While it could be sung by one person, it was really better for a group as there were a number of solo sections that would be handled by a different group member.

"Girls", Ranma said with a huge smile on her face. "I think I've found a suitable song for our grand finale. Check this out."

"I remember singing this before", Akane said as she looked at the lyrics over her girlfriend's shoulder and her face lit up in excitement. "We should totally do it."

"You sang this at your Christmas party that one year right?", Yuka asked as she skimmed over the lyrics and a smile appeared on her face.

"I remember that", Sayuri replied as she looked over the lyrics as well. "That was a lot of fun."

A couple of minutes later, they queued up the song "Equal Romance" and took a deep breath as the music started. The four of them looked at one another and smiled, so what if they couldn't duplicate the pop stars' performance, they were having fun and that was all that mattered.

Akane brought her microphone to her mouth and waited until the marker on the screen highlighted the first word and sang, "_You never say what you feel. Love can't go on with just one._"

The other girls brought their microphones up and as one, the four girls sang, "_The sadness fills my heart. Love is always loneliness. I want you back in my arms..._"

They continued as a quartet and chorus, "_Darling. Just for me, can't I wait for you?_"

Ranma continued as the other girls faded out and sang, "_In your heart, I wanna make you feel so brand-new._"

Akane, Yuka and Sayuri joined in and continued, "_When you beckon, love comes at your call. It's a love that's meant to be. It's in the stars above. Why not fall in love?_"

Everyone but Sayuri stopped singing as she continued, "_Tonight, isn't it sweet? There by the beach a car, two lovers talking._"

Yuka picked up where Sayuri stopped and sang, "_It's true, I saw it too. They held each other yet seemed far away._"

Akane continued once Yuka faded and sang, "_Invisible barrier. Something's come between, you know what I mean? See the tears begin to flow..._"

Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma joined in and the girls chorused, "_Fall in love..._"

The four girls continued and sang, "_Darling. Just for me, can't I wait for you?_"

Ranma continued as the other girls faded out and sang, "_In your heart, I wanna make you feel so brand-new._"

The other three girls joined the redhead and continued, "_When you beckon, love comes at your call. It's a love that's meant to be. It's in the stars above. Why not fall in love?_"

After a brief pause, the four girls sang, "_Darling. Just for you, I'll get on my knees._"

Akane, Yuka and Sayuri faded out as Ranma continued with, "_Say the words in my heart, if you will please._"

The other three joined the redhead for the final verse and sang, "_It's all there I see it in your eyes. Shining for the whole world to see. You really do love me. I love you, catch my love._"

The girls lowered their microphones and smiled at one another as the final instrumental section continued for another few moments. They came together for a giant group hug and smiled brightly, fairly pleased with their performance even if it wasn't perfect. When they separated and the music stopped playing they heard clapping coming from outside their little room and poked their heads out the door. Everyone in the store was cheering them on and suddenly the girls wondered how long everyone had been able to hear them. They blushed furiously and ducked back inside the room.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma waved to their friends as they headed off towards the movie theatre while Yuka and Sayuri headed for home. The couple walked into the lobby and looked at the shows available that were starting within the next half hour. The raven haired girl looked over at her date and wondered which of the three options the redhead would be most interested in. The two girls discussed it for a few minutes and finally settled on an action comedy flick. Ranma was only kind of surprised when Akane didn't insist on the romantic drama that was available considering neither one of them wanted to watch another couple kiss. They would make their own memories later and would enjoy it a great deal more.<p>

They bought some popcorn and sodas before finding some seats in the back away from everyone else. When the lights went down, they reached for each other's hands and interlaced their fingers, content to show each other some affection now that they weren't as likely to be seen. As the movie progress, both Ranma and Akane laughed at some of the martial arts stunts and how unimpressive they were compared to what they could do.

At one point Ranma asked, "Where are the Ki-attacks? I don't think any of these people would last four seconds against either one of us."

Akane giggled in agreement and said, "Yeah, but then you're just inhuman love."

The redhead smirked and said, "You aren't too far behind tomboy. If I'm inhuman, you will be too soon enough."

"Mmm", the youngest Tendo said as she captured her girlfriend's lips for a few moments. "Only you could make something like that sound like a compliment."

Ranma giggled and squeezed the other girl's hand affectionately as they turned back to watch the rest of the movie.

* * *

><p>An hour and some time later, the couple walked back onto the Tendo property and into the house. They announced their presence before heading upstairs to get ready for phase two. On their way home from the movie theatre, Akane had told Ranma that she was taking her out to dinner at a classy restaurant and they needed to change. The redhead had asked for some guidance on what she should wear which the tomboy was more than happy to suggest her black cocktail dress she wore the night P-chan was unveiled.<p>

Ranma was in her room, rifling through her closet when she found the dress in question. She smiled and remembered how well it showed off her body. The redhead locked the door before stripping off her Chinese shirt and pants as she looked in the mirror.

'_The white underwear has to go I think_', the Saotome heiress thought to herself as she stripped out of her bra and panties. Searching through her Ranko Tendo collection, the redhead found some black lingerie and put them on, basking in the feel of the silk on her creamy skin. Rooting through her closet some more, she found a slip and stepped into it and slowly slid the straps up her arms and onto her shoulders. Ranma picked up the dress and stepped into it, but had some trouble zipping herself up all the way. She smiled and knew exactly who she wanted to ask.

The dress was a modest cut and didn't show but a hint of cleavage when she stood up straight. Its short sleeves stopped midway down her upper arms while the skirt portion fell just below her knees. A narrow strip of intermittent silver wrapped around her waist like a belt.

'_I really am becoming a girl. This goes so far and beyond whenever I pretended for Ryoga_', Ranma thought as she admired herself in the mirror. Giggling softly, she thought, '_Hmm, I wonder if I would cause my male side's nose to bleed. Let's see, what else do I need? I don't have any jewelry, makeup or perfume, but I guess that's okay. Oh, heels. Can't forget those with my height._'

The Saotome heiress undid her pony tail and brushed her hair out and smiled at the effect her free flowing hair did for her look as it framed her face perfectly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Akane was in her room getting ready as well. She smiled and pulled out a beautiful burgundy dress. The Tendo girl couldn't remember the last time she had worn it and wondered if it would fit her correctly. Shrugging her shoulders, she stripped off her blouse and pants she had worn for the afternoon. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned, knowing Ranma was probably going to look better than her since the redhead's breasts were larger. Snapping her fingers, she reached into her special collection that Happosai had somehow never found and pulled out a black push-up bra and panty.<p>

'_I wonder if we'll be about the same size with this_', Akane thought as she stripped off her underwear and slipped into her sexy lingerie. She pulled at her breasts a little to make them look fuller and giggled at how ridiculous she was being. The youngest Tendo found some hosiery and put that on before putting on a black slip to go with her other clothes.

Akane slipped into the burgundy dress and smiled at how the silk felt on her body. The bodice was a little more daring than what she would normally wear and plunged between her breasts showing off her cleavage almost entirely. The sleeves were nearly non-existent as they barely went pass her shoulders while the skirt stopped just above her knees. The tomboy, who looked nothing like a typical tomboy, looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. Could she really wear something that daring? Why did she even have the dress in the first place? It was more like something Nabiki would wear.

'_I'll bet Ranma gets a nosebleed when she sees me in this_', Akane thought to herself as she giggled softly. There was a knock on her door and she asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ranma", the voice said shyly.

"Come in", the raven haired girl called and grinned as she thought, '_I guess I'm going to see her reaction sooner than I thought._'

The door opened and Akane found herself looking at the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her life and her jaw dropped. To her credit, Ranma's jaw dropped as well and they stared at one another for a couple minutes, neither one willing, or able more likely, to move or say anything as they looked at their girlfriend in awe.

"A-Akane", Ranma breathed out almost reverently. "You're stunning... "

"R-Ranma", Akane stammered as she tried to get her breathing under control, "You're absolutely beautiful..."

The redhead turned for a second and closed the door before walking up to her girlfriend, taking in every square centimeter of the girl's body. Akane smiled brightly seeing how Ranma was checking her out and returned the favor just as critically. They stared at one another a moment or two longer. The girls closed their eyes as they melted into one another's arms and kissed, long and slow as they held it for a minute.

Akane spread her hands across her lover's back and noted that the girl wasn't completely zipped up and promptly fixed that for her. Ranma noticed the same for Akane and zipped her up as well. They separated and looked at one another, truly amazed at what the other had managed to turn into.

"Ranma", the raven haired girl said softly, "You should probably put on hosiery but I'm going to guess you don't have any." At Ranma's nod, Akane handed her a package and the redhead slipped into it gently and got herself situated.

Over the next half hour or so, Akane did Ranma's makeup as well as her own. She didn't do anything flashy, just a subtle enhancement here and another one there. She put eye shadow on both of them to draw out their brown and blue eyes respectively. Finally, Akane put a light layer of pink lipstick on their lips as well as a touch of blush on their cheeks. They were just about finished when the Tendo girl remembered some perfume she had gotten from Kasumi for her birthday the previous year. At the time, she never thought she'd use it, after all she was stuck in an engagement with a loudmouthed jerk, but much had changed in the following months.

Akane spritzed a tiny bit on her wrist and said, "Smell this Ranma and tell me what you think."

"It smells nice", the redhead replied.

"Ranma", the Tendo girl said softly, "I want a picture of us, dressed like this, ready to go have a night out on the town."

The redhead smiled and nodded as she said, "I would like to have one as well. I could put it in a locket and that way you'll always be near my heart."

"It would look pretty funny on you if you wore it as a guy though", Akane replied as she giggled at the mental image. "Maybe I'm the one that should do that, since I'm always a girl."

Ranma frowned but nodded, getting closer and closer to just locking her curse and only being a man for a couple things from then on.

* * *

><p>The redhead activated the <em>Umi-sen ken<em> and snuck downstairs trying to figure out where everyone was so they could make their getaway. She poked her head out into the family room and noticed everyone was sitting around the dinner table waiting for Kasumi and Nodoka to bring dinner out.

"Nabiki", Ranma called from around the corner. "Can you come upstairs for a minute?"

The middle Tendo looked around and didn't see her future sister-in-law anywhere but knew where the voice had come from. She stood up and walked around the corner and her eyes nearly bugged out of her sockets as she took in the stunning girl standing in front of her. "R-Ranma?"

The girl in question nodded as a smile split her angelic features. Ranma grabbed the taller girl's hand and led her upstairs and stopped in front of her bedroom.

"What's this about Saotome?", Nabiki asked, already wondering if she could send a picture of the petite redhead to a modeling catalog. She got her second surprise of the evening when her baby sister stepped out of her room and smiled.

Ranma walked over and put an arm around her girlfriend and said, "We would like for you to take a picture of us before we go out on our date. We'd also like a few copies so we can put them in lockets or whatever."

"Would you mind if I sent a copy to a modeling agency?", Nabiki asked after she had disappeared into her bedroom for a moment to get her camera. "You two are absolutely gorgeous, I can't imagine anyone not wanting you to model for them."

The couple looked at one another and Akane said, "You know, maybe that wouldn't be so bad as long as it's tasteful. No skimpy outfits or nudes though."

"Deal", the middle Tendo said as her mind started thinking of a potential career direction with her business major she was going to pursue in six months at university. "Follow me and we'll do this in my room, less chance for the others to find out and make a mess of things."

Akane and Ranma nodded and the two followed the older girl into her room where the middle Tendo promptly went to work setting up an impromptu photo shoot. They only wanted a couple of shots for now, since they needed to be going to make their dinner reservation on time. Nabiki captured their essence perfectly and the first photo was very tasteful with the two girls standing next to one another with their hands clasped in front of them. The next picture, which neither Akane nor Ranma wanted anyone else to see had the two of them kissing as they wrapped their arms around one another. The couple said in no uncertain terms that there were to only be two copies of that picture, one for each of them.

"Thanks Nabiki", the couple chorused as Akane continued, "We can do more with other outfits another time. Right now we need to get going so we don't miss our dinner reservation."

"Have fun you two", Nabiki said as she closed the door after they left. She sat down on her bed and sighed as she thought, '_Damn. If only I had someone that looked at me like the two of them look at each other. I'm not even sure I care if it's a boy or a girl at this point. Oh well, maybe I'll meet someone special in college where I don't have my Ice Queen reputation hurting me. It would help if all the boys weren't complete idiots like they are at Furinkan as well._'

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma left the Tendo household through the front door and walked hand in hand towards their the outside gate to wait for a taxi to show up. They doubted they could make their reservation in time if they walked, not that they were particularly eager to walk the many blocks they would need to in heels. Roof hopping was definitely out of the question even if Ranma tried to do it in stockings. A few minutes later a cab showed up and the two girls climbed inside. Akane gave the man the address where they were going and he quirked an eyebrow but said nothing as he nodded.<p>

About fifteen minutes later, the cab arrived at their destination and they climbed out after Akane paid the fare. Ranma looked at the building in surprise, not really sure what to make of it. She had never been to a club as far as she could recall, but knew vaguely what they were like. The building in front of them was tastefully decorated with bonboris that added a sense of peace, warmth and a welcoming feel for anyone that would cross the threshold.

Akane turned towards her date and offered the girl her hand smiling softly in reassurance that it was okay. Ranma nodded and slipped her hand into her girlfriend's slightly larger one and the two girls walked up the stairs and into the club. They walked up to the hostess table and Akane told the woman her last name.

"Ah, welcome to Kaori's Miss Tendo, Miss Saotome", the woman said as she bowed to both girls. "If you will follow me I can seat you right away."

Ranma looked around the club as she followed the hostess and noticed that everyone in the club, whether she was a worker or a patron, was female. There were many couples and larger groups scattered throughout the restaurant. They were led to a small private table alongside the windows overlooking one of the many drainage canals that threaded their way through the city. The table was made out of fine wood, stained to a darker and richer brown. There was a bouquet of pink, white and red roses on the table in a small heart shaped vase. The lights were dimmed in order to provide a very cozy and romantic atmosphere that the girls took an immediate liking to.

The couple sat down and smiled. Here was a place they could truly be themselves without worrying that someone they knew or society in general would judge them harshly. Akane and Ranma reached for one another at the same time and allowed their fingers to intertwine with one another. That sat there and talked idly for a few minutes until one of the waitresses walked up and asked if they wanted to see a menu or if they wanted to be left alone for a little while longer. It occurred to the couple that they were at no ordinary restaurant where the workers wanted a high turn over rate. No, this place was meant to be enjoyed, savored even and allowed women who loved other women or just liked their company to be free from society's eyes and judgments.

"I'd like to see a menu please", Ranma said as the tomboy nodded in agreement.

The waitress nodded and moved off, allowing the teenagers to return to their conversation as they watched each other's facial expressions. A minute later, the woman returned and handed a menu to each of them as she mentioned what specials they were running in celebration of Valentine's Day, even though it was February 12th. Akane and Ranma looked through the menu for a few minutes while the waitress moved off so that they would have their privacy.

"Ranma", Akane said slowly as she took her girlfriend's hand in her own again. "I had planned to do this on Valentine's Day originally but I couldn't get a reservation. I didn't want to take you to some whatever place for our special date. I hope you don't mind if it's a couple of days early."

"This is very nice Akane, I'm glad we did this tonight actually", Ranma replied as she gently squeezed her date's hand. "Besides, we can still do something special on Saturday too, remember the school dance?"

"Oh yeah", the raven haired girl replied with a brilliant smile on her face. "It'll be our first dance. Ranma, I know you said you would go with me as a guy so people wouldn't talk but I don't want you to. I would rather go with the woman I love. Please?"

Ranma nodded and said, "Alright Akane. I was actually thinking about asking you about that. I've spent so much time as a girl lately. Honestly, I'm more comfortable this way now and I know you're more comfortable with me this way. Would you mind if I locked my curse and stayed a woman forever?"

Akane smiled and asked, "You would do that for me?"

"I would do anything for you", the redhead replied and the two girls stood up from their chairs and leaned forward at the same time. Their lips touched softly and they could feel each other's warmth spread through them for a few moments before they sat back down again. "I figure when it comes time for us to get married and have children, I could unlock the curse long enough to accomplish that."

"That or I could get some instant Nannīchuan and you can carry our children", Akane said mischeovously as she giggled softly.

"Actually love, if we were so inclined we could both be mothers at the same time. I wonder if that would be worse than alternating though", Ranma said thoughtfully as she reached for her girlfriend's hand again.

Akane thought through it a little and shook her head as she said, "Yeah, we could do that but unless we had your mother or Kasumi nearby it would be a disaster. If you remember from health class", the raven haired girl paused and regarded Ranma carefully who giggled, "a pregnant woman really needs someone nearby that isn't pregnant to help them."

Ranma nodded and said, "We're probably better off just dealing with one child at first anyway, unless we're blessed with twins from the start."

The waitress returned then and asked if they were ready to order with a curious look on her face having overheard the couple talk about getting pregnant at the same time. The girls looked a little young to be married or contemplating children. The way they held hands as well as each other's gaze, not to mention that kiss, she had assumed they were a couple. Perhaps they were a couple in that they were having an affair with one another but were married to men. It wasn't her business but still it was a curious situation.

Ranma and Akane ordered their favorite foods with the intention of sharing both dishes. They talked idly about the up coming trial for awhile, wondering if they would ever have to deal with Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, Tatewaki, and Cologne again. With half of the Nerima Wrecking Crew in jail, things had been rather peaceful lately. They were pretty sure it wouldn't last much longer with Ryoga and Happosai unaccounted for though. Still, they were determined to enjoy it as long as they could.

A little while later, their orders arrived and the couple wasted no time enjoying their meals as they were pretty hungry by that time. They split their dishes so they could each have some of what the other ordered and had a good time. Time passed and the waitress came by and clear the table while they continued to enjoy each other's company for a little longer. They weren't particularly eager to get home too soon and have to deal with the fathers or nosy sisters and mother. Eventually though, they knew it was time to go and the couple hailed a cab to return them to the Tendo estate.

* * *

><p>"We're home", Akane and Ranma chorused as they walked through the front door, really hoping the men were out drinking and the other women were busy. Kasumi, Nodoka and even Nabiki were sitting there in the living room waiting for them. They surged to their feet and clamored around the couple.<p>

"Alright alright, we'll tell you", Akane said exasperatedly in order to quiet their curious relatives down. "First of all, where are the fathers?"

"Oh them?", Nodoka scoffed as she shook her head in irritation and said, "They decided they couldn't handle their daughters going out for a night out on the town and went to a bar to get drunk."

"Did you tell them it was a date?", Ranma asked nervously, not looking forward to hearing Soun and her father bemoan that she was turning into a girl and the school would never be joined.

"No, we told them that it was a girl's night out with you and your friends. That wasn't a lie was it?", Kasumi asked hesitantly. The elder Tendo daughter really didn't like to lie and was hoping she had at least been somewhat honest with them.

Akane shrugged and said, "We went to the mall with Yuka and Sayuri earlier, but dinner was just the two of us."

"I hope you had a good time", Nabiki chimed in. "I trust they treated you kindly?"

"It was really nice, thank you for arranging it", Ranma said with a huge smile on her face.

"Ah, they told you that Na-chan had covered it already", the middle Tendo said thoughtfully with a glint in her eye. "Don't worry little sis, I'll take it out of your modeling portfolio."

Nabiki chuckled at the strange look on the redhead's face and nodded as she said, "That's right Ranma, I consider you to be my little sister/brother and so does Kasumi."

"Well I sure don't", Akane interjected a little more forcibly than necessary and wrapped her arms possessively around her girlfriend's waist.

"Thank Kami for that", Ranma replied with a grin as she leaned back into the tomboy's embrace. "I don't want you to be my sister Akane."

The five women moved to the couch and surrounding chairs as Akane and Ranma described their date in more detail, starting with the karaoke they had shared with their two friends. The redhead laid her head down in her girlfriend's lap and Akane began to play with the girl's bangs. The raven haired girl continued to describe their day, including the movie and then finally, the restaurant. By the time they were finished, the other three women were smiling brightly with almost wistful expressions on their faces.

'_Why can't Genma be romantic even once in a blue moon?_', Nodoka thought to herself as she wondered how much longer she was going to tolerate being married to the lazy panda.

'_I hope I can meet someone to love this fall when I go to college. Akane sure is lucky, maybe I made a mistake passing Ranma off to her that first day_', Kasumi and Nabiki thought simultaneously. '_Bad Kasumi/Bad Nabiki._'

* * *

><p>A half hour or so later, once the women had gotten all the details the couple wished to share, it was getting pretty late. They all wished each other good night and the two teenagers went upstairs in order to change and get ready for bed.<p>

The raven haired girl shook her head when Ranma stopped by the door to her room and said, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Um, are you sure?", Ranma asked nervously after spending a few moments trying to clear the lump in her throat.

"I'm sure, it's time for phase three of our date", Akane replied as she lightly ran a finger up and down her girlfriend's arm eliciting a tingle across the redhead's flesh. "I stayed with you last night remember? Grab your pajamas and come to my room. I owe you a striptease and intend to pay up."

The Saotome heiress blushed furiously and nodded as she ducked into her room.

'_You don't really need pajamas Ranma_', the tomboy thought lustfully as she walked back towards her room as a smile slowly spread across her face. '_It's not like you're going to be wearing them or anything else soon._'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The next scene is rather lemony. If this bothers you, you can stop reading here and not miss anything important for the story. **

* * *

><p>A minute or so later, a nervous looking redhead knocked on Akane's door and walked in when the tomboy called. Ranma stood by the door after closing it, not really sure what she should be doing. Akane pressed play on her tape player and slithered up to her girlfriend as soft and romantic violin music started playing in the background. She walked passed the shorter girl for a second and locked the door before grabbing the girl's pajamas and placing them on her desk.<p>

"So, uh...", Ranma started only to find Akane's fingers touching her lips to quiet her down.

"Shh", the tomboy said as she slipped her arms around the redhead's back. "Let's just dance for a little while before we go to bed."

The Saotome heiress smiled as she nodded. The two girls held on to one another and stared into each other's eyes as they slow danced. They felt like they were floating on air as they lost themselves in each other as they moved about the room. For the most part they were pretty good about not stepping on each other's feet. The two girls slow danced for five songs when Akane suggested that Ranma sit down on her bed and get comfortable. The redhead raised an eyebrow at the request and shrugged as she complied.

Akane smiled warmly and walked over to the tape player. Picking out another tape, she put it in the player and started it up. This time the music was a little more upbeat and the tomboy began to sway her hips back and forth as she danced in place. Ranma blushed, having an idea what her girlfriend was up to and grinned. The raven haired girl began to slowly turn around as her hands reached up behind her to unzip her dress. She brought the zipper down slowly and looked over her shoulder with a grin on her face. The burgundy knee length dress slipped off her shoulders and fell towards the floor slowly as Akane controlled its decent. She turned so she was facing her audience again and wrapping her foot in the silk of the dress, she kicked it towards her girlfriend. Akane smiled when the redhead sniffed it, trying to capture her scent.

The youngest Tendo hooked her forefingers underneath the straps of her slip and slowly pushed them off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the ground revealing her bra and panties as well as her hosiery. She used her feet to kick the slip towards her redheaded audience and giggled at the blush she saw on the girl's cheeks. Akane walked over towards the other girl and reached out for the smaller girl's hands.

In confusion, Ranma gave her girlfriend her hands, not sure what was going on. When she had done her striptease it was quick and she didn't really interact with her audience. There seemed to be an important difference between doing it for friends because of a dare and doing it for a girlfriend out of love and the desire to be sexy. Pushing thoughts of her own performance out of her mind, Ranma focused on watching the woman she love bare everything, including the girl's soul to her.

The two girls embraced one another for a moment before they leaned back enough so that their lips gently pressed up against one another. Akane felt her lover's hands on her bare skin and shivered briefly at the slightly ticklish feather touch. They continued to kiss softly as Akane's hands slowly unzipped the redhead's dress. Once the cocktail dress was unzipped, the tomboy slid her hands underneath the garment and gently pushed the dress off the girl's shoulders.

Ranma stepped out of the dress as it pooled on the floor around them and began rubbing her girlfriend's back with her warm hands. Akane moaned at the touch which allowed the redhead's tongue to invade her mouth. The raven haired girl slipped her fingers underneath the other girl's slip and slowly pushed it off Ranma's shoulders. The thin fabric fell away from her body and pooled at her feet. The two girls separated for a moment and picked up the dress and slip off the floor and threw them onto the bed. They turned to look at one another and grinned. Both of them were dressed only in sexy black lingerie and their eyes grew larger and darker in desire.

Akane took her lover's hands into her own and led the other girl back towards the bed. She threw back the covers before laying down on the bed, pulling her half naked girlfriend down on top of her. The stared at one another for a few moments, Ranma hovering above the taller girl with their breasts barely touching one another. They both licked their lips and by some unseen signal, the redhead leaned forward while Akane's arms snaked around her girlfriend's back. The two pressed against one another as they tried to devour each other's lips, the kisses a lot more demanding than they had been when they were standing. Their breasts rubbed against one another, eliciting moans of pleasure from both of them as they felt their arousals spread through their body like wildfire, igniting every cubic centimeter of their being.

The raven haired girl's hands found her lover's bra and undid the clasp before pulling the straps off the other girl's shoulders. Ranma lifted herself off the taller girl long enough for her bra to go flying as Akane threw it on the floor. The redhead pressed her now topless body into her girlfriend's bra clad chest and deepened their kisses. The tomboy's hands rubbed up and down the other girl's back as they began moving back and forth against one another. She could feel the smaller girl's hardened nipples as well as her own as the two of them pressed against one another.

Ranma slipped her fingers underneath the tomboy's bra straps and pulled them off her shoulders as she began kissing the other girl's neck very slowly. She held each kiss for a number of seconds and succeeded in driving her girlfriend crazy. Akane's hands slipped down her lover's back and underneath the girl's panties as she cupped the smaller girl's ass. Ranma moaned and could feel her womanhood starting to leak. She felt a wetness coming from the other girl and couldn't help but smile. After trailing kisses down the left side of Akane's neck, Ranma stated working on the right side.

Her bra was still in the way, something Akane wanted to rectify as soon as Ranma was done kissing her neck. Gods that felt so good. She could feel the warm fire spread through her body and knew it was but a taste of what was to come. While Ranma continued to kiss her neck, Akane went to work pulling the girl's panties off of her butt. She couldn't get them off completely but figured when they switched positions she could then.

Ranma pulled back slightly, her eyes wide in surprise at her girlfriend's forwardness and licked her lips as she noticed her mouth was suddenly dry. She shook her head and pulled her panties back up. Akane frowned but nodded and thought that maybe the girl wasn't ready for that yet. She sat up enough to unhook her bra and toss it aside. Now, both girls were down to their panties and hosiery. They stared at one another for a few moments before Akane tackled her girlfriend and the two of them began kissing in earnest again. Their bare breasts rubbed against one another and their inner cores re-ignited as fire spread through their systems. Their womanhoods heated up again as they leaked into their panties, maybe it was better they still had their underwear on after all. They were definitely going to need to change the sheets in the morning.

Akane broke off the kissing for a moment and said huskily, "I love you Ranma, more than anything or anyone else in the world. Will you let me show you what that means?"

"U-um Akane", Ranma stuttered as she sensed one of her girlfriend's hands snaking down towards her womanhood. "Are you sure about this? I mean we've already gone further than we ever have before..."

"I won't touch you there if you don't want me to", the raven haired girl said gently. "If you've ever experimented with your female body though, you know how good it can feel. When another person does it for you, I've heard it feels even better. It's your call though, I don't want to push you into something you aren't ready for."

"Thanks love", the redhead replied as she captured her lover's mouth again and pulled the larger girl down on top of her. In between kisses, she said, "I think I need more time to get used to this before we do that."

Akane sighed in disappointment but nodded in understanding. She had to remind herself that her girlfriend was pretty new to the whole thing and wasn't experienced like she was. She had been a girl all her life and explored herself enough to know exactly what she did and didn't like. Ranma had only been female for the last twenty one months or so, but more than that it was doubtful she explored much, if at all in that time frame. The tomboy knew her lover was rather ignorant when it came to sex thanks to her idiot father failing to teach her much of anything outside of martial arts. As far as she knew, there was no such thing as Martial Arts Foreplay and she was pleased with what Ranma did seem to know.

The couple continued to make out for quite awhile as they relished in one another's love and lust for one another. They spent a great of time kissing one another as their bodies pressed against one another. At one point, Akane was playing with Ranma's breasts, swirling her tongue over the girl's nipples which served to drive the redhead crazy. Not wanting to bring it up again, Akane could only giggle internally when she thought how crazy she could drive her girlfriend if the Saotome girl allowed her to play with her womanhood. After a little coaxing, Ranma returned the favor and sucked on Akane's breasts and using her tongue she played with the girl's nipples. Akane felt herself going crazy which brought a smile to the redhead's face as she continued her ministrations.

Realizing they needed to start cooling down so they would actually be able to sleep, the lovers curled around one another underneath the covers and started talking to each other in soft tones. They still kissed in between statements but it wasn't hot and heavy like it had been before. At some point during their session they had basked in their internal energies and enjoyed quite a few Soul Kisses where their Kis intertwined with one another. As the evening before at Sayuri's house and at the Meiji Shrine where everything started, their Soul Kiss had manifested itself as a white, pink and red aura that bathed the area in warmth and love.

"Damn", Ranma said softly as she squirmed underneath the blankets. "I need to change my panties. I'll be right back."

"Hang on a second love", Akane said as she climbed out of bed and stood in front of her seated girlfriend. "I owed you a striptease and that includes my womanhood which you haven't seen in awhile."

"It's okay if you don't want to show me", the redhead said.

"Nonsense. Besides, don't you want to see it even if you aren't comfortable with idea of touching me there yet?", the youngest Tendo said mischievously with a certain glint in her brown eyes.

Ranma sighed softly and nodded. Akane grinned and slipped off her panties in a slow teasing manner. The redhead found her mouth drying out again as she took in her girlfriend's delta. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand was slowly reaching out to touch the girl's mound as her other hand gently touched her own through her panties. The raven haired girl's face split into an even bigger smile as she laid one of her hands on top of Ranma's and sighed.

"Maybe you'll be ready for that next time after all", Akane said softly and Ranma found herself nodding as her ever present blush since they began seemed to intensify brighter than her hair. "In the meantime, we have to be up in the morning so we can make it to the courthouse in time for the trials. Go ahead and get a new pair of panties and then we'll go to bed alright?"

The Saotome heiress nodded as she removed her hands from both of their mounds. Just in case someone was awake, she slipped on her pajamas so she wasn't walking around the house nearly naked. She gathered up her other clothes and headed back towards her room.

Akane sighed softly and smiled. She hadn't expected Ranma to be comfortable touching her between her legs just yet. The tomboy felt they had made tremendous progress in expanding their physical relationship. Until that evening, they had never made out without clothes on and they certainly had never touched each other's breasts as much as they had that evening. All in all it had been a very enjoyable evening and it was a shame it had to come to an end.

'_Oh well, I'm sure we can do it again tomorrow night, and the next..._', the raven haired girl thought to herself as she put on a dry pair of panties and slipped into her pajamas. There really was no reason for them to try to sleep naked since there were other people in the house that could walk in on them in the morning.

Ranma came back a few minutes later and the two girls looked at one another, trying to decide if they wanted to sleep or make out some more. After clicking off the overhead light, the girls slid into bed and wrapped their arms around one another as they laid on their sides facing each other. They kissed each other goodnight and closed their eyes in order to try to get to sleep, despite the fact that their hearts were still beating like jackhammers and their arousals weren't quite satisfied.

"I love you Ranma", Akane said as she kissed her girlfriend again.

"I love you too Akane", Ranma replied as she returned the kiss.

"G'night", the two girls said simultaneously as they relaxed, hoping sleep would come quickly as they held on to one another.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._

_The next chapter is scheduled to be the last normal chapter for this part. After the trials and Friday the 13th, I will need a chapter to bridge the events between this story and the next. I'm not sure whether to do that as an epilogue in this file or as the prologue of the next file. The reason for separating should become obvious in the next chapter. _


	14. Friday the 13th: Whispers of the Past

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Thirteen

_Friday the 13th: Whispers of the Past_

.

.

All around Nerima various clocks of all sizes, colors and configurations were striking 12:00 midnight, Friday, February 13th. For the vast majority of people this meant absolutely nothing. However, for Kimiko Tendo, late wife to Soun Tendo and mother to Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, this meant everything. The Tendo matriarch's shrine inside the dojo began to glow in a soft pale blue light that licked at the surrounding air like fire. The blue flame grew large enough in size that it could engulf a moderately tall human and coalesced into a beautiful woman with short bluish hair.

Kimiko sighed as she smoothed out her dark green housedress and looked around the dojo. She was saddened when it had been destroyed two weeks earlier. Apparently someone had rebuilt it in a timely manner and was using it again. The matronly woman closed her eyes for a moment and felt Ki energy in the floorboards and walls. Her eyes snapped open and a huge smile spread across her face when she recognized one of the energy signatures. It was none other than her own youngest child, Akane.

"My dear sweet Akane", Kimiko said softly in the cold February air. "How wonderful that your martial arts skills are progressing to the point where you may soon surpass even your father. Ranma has been very good for you in more ways than one. I just hope that after today..."

The Tendo matriarch sighed in resignation as a tear rolled down her cheek. There had to be something she could do to stem the pain and suffering that was already heading its way towards Nerima. The young couple had gone through so much together and were finally happy. How could she stand aside and let some misguided and obsessive idiot destroy that? The problem was, the idiot in question was even more dangerous than the last time her favorite couple had faced him. Kimiko knew she would need to keep a close eye on things and help where she could.

Kimiko snuck into her old house and walked around, wondering how much was different it was from when she had lived there years ago when Akane was but a small child. She wandered into the kitchen and smiled, it was setup so much like it had been when she cooked for the family. Opening one of Kasumi's cook books her smile grew as she realized just how far her little girl had come. Sadness seemed to permeate every surface of the kitchen though and Kimiko could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Her eldest child had never known love once she had passed on. She felt a trace of longing for a certain doctor and frowned as she wondered what had happened to keep the two apart.

Walking out towards the Shogi board the Tendo matriarch scowled in anger. Her husband had once been a great man, a kind and gentle father. The shadow of man she sensed sitting in the same place, day after day while the chaos reigned around him disgusted her. The lumbering oaf across from Soun's essence was even worse. She glared at the panda energy signatures and clenched her fist in anger. The two men, if they could be called that, did virtually nothing to help the girls. In fact, with their refusal to get rid of their so called master, they made things worse than doing nothing.

The Tendo matriarch walked into the guest room downstairs and found the balding fat man she had sensed earlier. Ignoring the part time panda, she turned her attentions to the man's wife and frowned. Nodoka was a beautiful woman, why was she with Genma? She suspected they didn't have a particularly happy marriage and might be staying together only for the sake of their daughter, or son, depending. She turned her attention back towards Genma and smirked, it had been awhile since she'd seen a panda as she considered splashing the fool. Shaking her head, she knew she would be able to see it sometime during the day.

* * *

><p>Kimiko left the downstairs guest room and headed upstairs figuring there was no reason to stop by the changing room or bath area. She headed for Kasumi's room and opened the door softly, hoping she wouldn't wake her eldest child up. The older woman knelt down next to her daughter and lightly touched the woman's cheek as she brushed some of Kasumi's hair away from her eyes.<p>

"Mother?", Kasumi said sleepily as a soft smile crossed her lips.

"I'm here honey", the blue haired woman said softly. "I'm always here, deep within your heart. I hope you'll find someone to love someday though. A mother never wants to see her child go through life alone. It was bad enough I left early and you had to grow up before your time for your sisters' sake. Perhaps you and Nabiki will find love this coming fall when you go to university."

"Mommy...", the elder Tendo daughter said softly, reaching out in front of her as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please don't leave us again, we miss you so much..."

Kimiko took her daughter's hands into her own and smiled sadly, knowing she couldn't grant the young woman's wish. The Tendo matriarch closed her eyes for a moment and a soft yellow light formed around their hands that slowly spread throughout Kasumi's body, bringing warmth and peace to the brown haired woman's mind. "Take a little piece of my soul with you always Kasumi. May it guide you so that you can find true happiness in your future. I love you, my daughter."

"I love you too Mommy", Kasumi replied, almost as though she was eight years old again when her mother had been taken from her the first time.

The Tendo matriarch sighed sadly as she left Kasumi's bedroom. The woman was so beautiful she should have a boyfriend at least, maybe even a husband. Due to her death though and Soun's inability to be a father, her eldest daughter had stayed locked in time and had never gone on with her own life until recently.

* * *

><p>Kimiko opened the door leading to her middle daughter's room and looked around with a mother's eye. The difference between the two girls' rooms was like night and day. Kasumi's room was obviously lived in but hardly anything was on display or out of place. Nabiki's room on the other hand had stuff covering the walls, desk, and the bookshelf in the corner. The Tendo matriarch knelt down by her daughter's bed and looked at the beautiful girl's face and smiled. The short haired young woman showed no reaction to her presence at all which Kimiko thought was strange. She was sure all of her daughter's could sense her presence on some level but Nabiki showed no sign of doing so.<p>

'_I wonder if this goes back to her Ice Queen facade and how she trained herself not to show emotion_', the older woman thought as she cupped her daughter's cheek with her hand. '_She's so good at it she does it literally in her sleep._'

"Nabiki my child", Kimiko said sadly as she brushed the girl's short hair lovingly, "I hope you'll allow someone into your heart soon. You've been so lonely all these years and your heart has become imprisoned behind a wall of ice. I know you love your sisters, but isn't it time you let someone else in?"

"Mother?", Nabiki questioned sleepily as she adjusted her position on her bed.

"I'm here sweetheart", the Tendo matriarch said softly as she captured one of the girl's hands and held it for a few moments. As with Kasumi, her hands glowed a soft yellow light that spread slowly through the middle Tendo, bring peace and warmth to her mind. "Take a little piece of my soul Nabiki and let it guide you. Remember your greatest strength and use it to find your true happiness in the future. I love you, my daughter."

"I love you too Mom", the brown haired girl said softly as she settled into a deeper sleep.

The Tendo matriarch sighed as she stood up and left her middle daughter's room. She stood in the hallway for a few moments as she contemplated whether to talk to Ranma or her youngest daughter next. Actually, considering what was going on, it would probably be better to talk with them both at the same time. Nodding to herself, she slipped into the guest room where the redhead usually stayed and frowned. The only person in the room was that weird male ninja that dressed like a girl.

* * *

><p>Kimiko left the guest room and headed for her baby daughter's room. Perhaps the two of them were together again like they were when she found them the first time on their camping trip. She tried the door and found it locked, a dead giveaway something they wanted to keep hidden was going on. The elder Tendo frowned as she concentrated for a few moments. There was a soft click and the door knob turned in her hand as she opened the door.<p>

She walked up to the lump that lay in her daughter's bed and smiled when she found both that the redhead and Akane were sleeping peacefully. Ranma lay on her side, on the inside of the spoon as Akane wrapped her arms around the girl's midsection. The redhead's hands were resting on top of her girlfriend's and the mother could see happiness etched on their faces. Kimiko knelt down in front of the bed and stared at the two girls for several minutes, wondering if they would be together at the end of the day. The Tendo matriarch had a bad feeling about the day's upcoming events but couldn't do anything to prevent them. The only thing she could do was offer minor assistance beforehand and help with the aftermath.

"My beautiful daughter and the love of her life", Kimiko said softly as she slipped her hands in between those of the raven haired girl and the redhead. She closed her eyes as a soft yellow glow spread from the point of contact all throughout the girls' bodies bringing warmth and peace to the young women's minds. "Take a piece of my soul daughter and her lover. May it strengthen your soul bond, allowing it to survive when it's testing later this day. An old enemy comes for you, more powerful than ever before. Take heed my daughter and guard your heart for it will surely be under attack as your flesh will be. Ranma, be aware of your surroundings always, and beware a possible betrayal from near by."

"Mother?", Akane asked dreamily as her hands squeezed both her mother's and her girlfriend's hands tighter.

"I'm here honey", the Tendo matriarch said as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She leaned over the girls and the tear landed with a soft splash on their joined hands. A soft blue light, similar to the fire she stepped out of when she appeared in the dojo, began to emanate from their joined hands and spread throughout the girls' bodies. "I love you Akane, my wonderful baby child. Know that I will always be with you. Tap into your inner strength and use it to protect your loved ones as well as yourself."

"I love you too mommy", Akane whispered and pressed her body into the back of her girlfriend, trying to get as close as possible.

"Ranma", Kimiko said softly as she looked at the petite redhead in front of her. "Protect my baby girl I beg you. She will come under attack this day in more ways than one. Please, do whatever you can to keep her from succumbing to the darkness. I know you love her more than life itself. I'm proud of you both, finally admitting to one another your true feelings which resonate in more than just your heart."

The redhead shifted in her sleep subtly as some part of her heard the older woman's words. Ranma felt herself being drawn out of her dream state as her eyes slowly opened. Kneeling in front of her was a woman she had never seen before, at least in the flesh. Naturally she had seen pictures of the Tendo matriarch but everyone had told her she was dead. How then, was the woman not only kneeling and looking right into her blue eyes but touching her hands as well.

"Mrs. Tendo?", Ranma asked hesitantly as she tried to lift herself into a sitting position. She found that her girlfriend had a pretty strong grip on her midsection.

"Hello Ranma", the older woman said and smiled gently. "It's nice to finally meet my baby's soul mate."

"H-huh? How?", the redhead whispered, not really sure how to react to a walking spirit or reincarnation of a woman that had been dead for twelve years. What was this about soul mates?

"I can't maintain my physical form on this plane for very long, so I must be brief", Kimiko replied sadly as her brown eyes locked on the redhead's angelic face. "As for you two being soul mates, surely you've felt your Kis and souls intertwining with one another?"

Ranma nodded slowly as her eyes widened in realization, "Can you tell me why I've only felt it while female though?"

"That's easy", the blue haired woman said softly. "Your female form is the side of you that Akane bonded with back when the two of you confessed your love to each other at the Meiji Shrine. It's precisely because you two are soul mates and have bonded with each other that you're able to share what we call a Soul Kiss when you're really passionate with one another. Whether you've seen them or not I don't know but I do know you've felt them. In fact, you specifically asked Akane to give you one to prove she loved you at Sayuri's house recently. They cause your body to project a white, pink and red aura that exudes warmth, love and peace to those around you."

"So that's why she prefers my female side?", the red haired girl asked slowly as she nodded to herself.

"Yes and no", Kimiko replied as she shook her head. "Yes she prefers to be with the side her soul bonded to but that isn't the only reason. Remember when you first showed up how happy she was when she thought you were a girl and how devastated she was when she found out about your curse?"

Ranma chuckled darkly and grimaced, "I'll never forget that. I thought I had finally found a friend only for it to turn to dust a half hour later."

"You weren't the only one who felt like she had lost a friend", the Tendo matriarch said sadly. "Akane was never really interested in boys while she was growing up. Enter Kuno and the Hentai Horde and she outright despised them but couldn't accept that she might like girls that way. Then you came along, a cute, shy, little red haired girl and part of her fell in love with you right then as her soul reached out to touch yours. It's little wonder she felt betrayed when she found out that the girl she liked was nothing more than a mirage and you were really a boy."

"So Akane will never truly love me as a guy", the Saotome heiress said quietly as she sighed heavily. "This is why my personality is splitting isn't it? The part of my soul that bonded with Akane is becoming her own person while the rest of me is migrating back to my male side."

"Yes and no", Kimiko replied as she squeezed the redhead's hands while the Saotome girl groaned at all the half answers. "Ranma, you've been two people in a way since you were five years old. Ever since your old man took you away on your training trip he's tried to drill a lot of damaging ideas into your head that are at odds with your true self. Because he pushed you into being an overly macho living weapon, rather than a person, your soul split in half. You weren't aware of it, but most, if not all of your gentler qualities were forced aside and into the second soul. Anytime you tried to heal yourself by allowing these traits to surface he called you weak or girlish, forcing them back into the prison you had built for them. This is part of the reason you were destined to take a dip in the Nyannīchuan in order to find a way to counterbalance the damage done to your soul. It had the opposite effect and you became even more one dimensional and over the top. In time you came to accept your curse which allowed some of your buried traits to resurface and your soul began to heal."

"I must have only started to heal in the last couple of weeks then", Ranma said softly as she sorted through her memories and noticed she started acting "weird" after the failed wedding.

"That's true Ranma", the older woman replied quietly. "I think almost losing my daughter to Saffron very nearly destroyed the wall you had built around the other part of your soul. When you saw Akane in her wedding dress and the two of you almost got into a fight the last bit of the wall you built shattered. Remember the talk you had with your mother that evening? That was your second soul talking and you were finally able to begin the healing process."

"Ranma, I have to go now", Kimiko said sadly and frowned as her body began to fade out of existence. "It's been a real pleasure talking with you, thank you. Please take good care of my baby girl."

"Thank you for your help Mrs. Tendo, it was really nice to meet you", the redhead replied as she felt the older woman's hand in between hers and Akane's disappear. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Yes, I'm quite certain you will see me again, maybe sooner than you think", the blue haired matriarch said as she finished fading from view.

Ranma shivered as she considered what the spirit might mean. Was it because the Tendo matriarch would be able to crossover again or was it because she was going to die soon. She remembered vaguely hearing the woman's voice over the previous weekend when Akane and she were camping. Mrs. Tendo had said something about the two of them facing a trial soon. The way the older woman talked about it though made it sound like it was a personal trial, not some legal thing she wasn't directly involved with. The redhead sighed as she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take her in a short amount of time.

* * *

><p>Ryoga growled angrily as he started packing up his tent. Finally, after days of traveling and searching, he would have his revenge on Ranma Saotome. He opened a bag tied to his belt and smiled evilly at the small purple jewel that was inside. Akane would be his, one way or another and Ranma would be powerless to stop him this time. It was the perfect revenge, he would take what the gender bender valued the most, his manhood and his girl. The part time pig started laughing darkly as he clenched his fist and raised it to the heavens.<p>

"I'll make you pay for your sins against me Ranma", Ryoga shouted. "When next we meet, it'll be you that is beaten and broken as I stand over your corpse with my love at my side."

"Shut up Ryoga! I'm trying to sleep here", Taro replied testily as he climbed out of his own tent and glared at the ranting and raving boy.

"I thought you wanted to pound on Saotome as well", the bandana wearing boy replied.

"I do. I like beating up on femboy and I also want to find Happosai so I can get my name changed. That doesn't mean we have to do it at 6 in the morning!", Taro growled angrily as he climbed back in his tent.

The part time pig frowned as he was eager to get his revenge started. He had to wait for Taro though or else he might not make it back to Nerima within a week, let alone that day. Sighing to himself, he started preparing breakfast, thinking maybe that would wake up his companion and they could set out sooner.

"Fine, I'm up. Happy?", the Chinese boy growled as his nose refused to leave him alone and he found his mouth watering.

While waiting for breakfast to finish, he packed up his tent and other supplies. The two boys ate in silence for a few minutes and then cleaned everything up. Once the camp was packed, the fire doused and everything was in order, Taro poured some cool water over his head and turned into a giant flying minotaur type creature with octopus tentacles on his back. Ryoga climbed on top of the beast's back and the two martial artists took to the skies as they continued their journey towards Nerima.

* * *

><p><em>Ranma stood at the alter looking very handsome in his tuxedo with a smile on his face. Finally, after many months of courtship, he and Akane were going to be married. He shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked over at the priest who nodded warmly. He looked at his best man, Ryoga, and offered the fang toothed teenager a small smile. Somehow, since the day pig boy had come back and tried to kill him once and for all, the two had buried the hatchet and become friends instead of rivals. His groomsmen, Hiroshi and Daisuke were busy looking at Akane's bridesmaids, Yuka and Sayuri. The maid of honor and bride were still missing due to a dress malfunction or something.<em>

_Suddenly, a petite red haired girl in a soft pink gown with purple trim walked quickly up the aisle and took position in the maid of honor spot and said, "Sorry everyone. Akane is ready and should be coming through the doors any moment now."_

_"What was the problem Ranko?", Ranma asked, almost afraid of the answer. He knew his other half and fiancée were really close, sometimes too close for his comfort. 'It doesn't matter now. Akane is marrying you, not Ranko and it's not like she'll cheat on you with your sister, right?'_

_"Nothing you need to worry about Ranma", the redhead replied slyly as she blushed. "Akane and I wanted to have one last important talk before the two of you were married, that's all."_

_Ranma nodded even though inside he was fuming. He figured they had had some sort of make out session even though Ranko's makeup looked unblemished nor did her gown look disheveled. 'Calm yourself Saotome, you don't have any proof and besides, would your fiancée really do that to you on your wedding day?'_

_The doors at the other end of the chapel opened and everyone turned in their seat as a hush fell upon the crowd. The woman sitting at the organ started playing the wedding march as Soun escorted his youngest daughter up the aisle. _

_Ranma swallowed hard and couldn't believe how beautiful his fiancée was. His gaze remained locked on her lithe form and noted that she filled out the dress perfectly. Akane's gown was fairly simple, but beautiful in the purest white he had ever seen. It looked as though it was made out of snow. The bodice was tastefully cut so only a small amount of cleavage was visible while the long sleeves flowed down her arms and tapered just above her wrists. The skirt billowed out slightly and hovered several centimeters off the floor due to the girl's white heels. Akane had decided against wearing a veil which allowed her long raven colored hair to flow through a white bow and down her back. _

_Akane looked at the redhead for a moment and noted the small but sad smile on the girl's face. Ranko nodded her head slowly and took the bouquet of flowers her best friend handed to her as the raven haired girl took position across from the girl's former male half. Akane took her fiancé's hands into her own and squeezed gently._

_The organ music stopped and the priest looked over the wedding party and congregation as he said, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of this man with this woman in the holy state of matrimony. If anyone can find just cause why these two should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace."_

_Ranma looked over at his former female half and noticed the small smile on the girl's face. Her stormy blue eyes were another story though, they were puffy and swollen as though she had been crying. Why was the redhead so upset? It wasn't like she would never see her best friend again. _

_After talking for a bit about the duties of a husband the priest asked, "Do you, Ranma Saotome, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer till death do you part?"_

_"I-I do", Ranma replied shakily and looked over at the woman across from him with a small smile on his face. His smile disappeared when he noticed that his fiancée was shaking her head slightly and tears were rolling down her cheeks. He looked up and noticed his sister's tear stained cheeks and wondered what was going on._

_The priest turned towards Akane and said, "Do you, Akane Tendo, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer till death do you part?"_

_Akane looked at her fiancé and lowered her eyes as she said softly, "I'm sorry Ranma. I can't do this."_

_"W-What?", Ranma stuttered as the congregation gasped in surprise. "W-Why?"_

_"I don't love you, at least that way", the raven haired girl replied as she took her hand back and turned around to face her maid of honor and best friend. "The truth is, I love Ranko and have since the very beginning. The day you showed up in your cursed form..."_

_"I love you too Akane", Ranko replied and the two girls melted into each other's embrace. They leaned forward and kissed one another passionately, not caring who was witnessing their expression of love. If they were disowned, it wouldn't matter to either of them so long as they had one another. The crowd gasped in surprise at the display and began murmuring to themselves._

_Akane and Ranko broke their kiss and ran down the aisle hand in hand, feeling like they had to escape. Ranma sank to his knees and buried his head in his hands as he felt tears trying to edge their way out of his blue eyes. He couldn't believe it, all this time and everything they had been through, she never loved him. It had always been her._

_"Man, sucks to be you", Ryoga quipped from behind him. "All this time and neither one of us had a chance with her."_

Ranma slowly returned to the land of the living and opened her eyes, immediately noticing the lack of warmth and presence besides her. She looked around and found that she was still in Akane's bedroom, just without its owner for some reason. The redhead sat up in her girlfriend's bed as she contemplated her dream and what she had talked to Kimiko about the night before. The Saotome heiress smiled when she realized she was the Ranko character in her dream, the one who got the girl in the end. It wouldn't make sense for her emerging personality to be the Ranma character since he was the original. No, she was Ranko, Ranko Saotome. It was just a matter of splitting herself in two and begging Nodoka to adopt her.

'_I don't think she'll have a problem with it. It's been awhile since she's had a son considering how much time I've spent as a girl lately_', Ranma thought to herself as she headed back towards her room to change. '_If I can find a way to split our bodies, she can have her son back all the time. I bet that would make father happy too._'

'_I guess I'll go work out for awhile_', the redhead thought as she stripped off her pajamas. She put on a sports bra and one of her traditional Chinese outfits before heading downstairs towards the dojo. On her way there she heard raised voices and shouts. Puzzled, Ranma poked her head in the dojo and smiled. Akane was sparring with her father while Genma sat along the wall and watched.

* * *

><p>"Good morning Ranma", Akane said and flashed her girlfriend a brilliant smile just before she dodged one of Soun's spin kicks. The raven haired girl continued slipping around her father's punches and kicks as she danced around the taller man. The redhead could feel her heart swell with pride at how well her love was doing. Granted, the elder Tendo was fairly out of shape but she was certain her fiancée would be doing just fine even if he wasn't.<p>

"Good morning Akane, did you sleep well?", Ranma asked, wondering if she should try to carry on a conversation with the girl while she was sparring with someone else.

"I slept like a baby, you?", the youngest Tendo asked as she ducked another kick before leaping to the side to counter with a punch to Soun's ribs. She hoped Ranma would keep talking to her, it was good training to be able to fight and carry on a meaningful conversation at the same time.

"I had a very interesting night but I'll tell you about it later. I don't want to distract you too much", the Saotome heiress replied with a smirk as she watched Soun miss and get tagged yet again.

"We can talk, I don't need much concentration for this", Akane said with a smirk on her lips as she tagged her father from behind. Ranma giggled as Soun flushed in annoyance.

"Tendo, are you holding back on your daughter?", Genma asked from the sidelines as he grew annoyed at the raven haired girl's attitude and casual manner. It reminded him too much of his son turned daughter. He turned towards Ranma and demanded, "Why are you a girl, boy?"

"Why whatever do you mean old man? I'm just what you made me", Ranma replied with a sickly sweet smile on her lips.

Akane giggled as she swept her father off his feet. While the man was down she leapt at him with her elbow for a finishing strike. Soun was stunned from hitting his head on the dojo floor and couldn't avoid the strike. The Tendo heiress buried her elbow in the man's stomach as her body followed, landing on his chest.

Soun groaned as he lay on the floor and said, "I think that's enough for today daughter."

The raven haired girl frowned but nodded as she climbed to her feet. She looked over at her girlfriend and said, "Hey Ranma, feel like sparring for a little before breakfast?"

"Sure, we can show these old men how it's really done", Ranma smirked and walked out into the yard despite the growls of annoyance from the fathers who moved to follow shortly after. Akane giggled softly and followed the other girl towards the garden. "Okay Akane, whoever dunks the other the most wins alright? Anything Goes."

Akane slipped into a neutral stance as a feral grin crossed her lips and said, "You're on girlfriend. I hope you don't mind being wet for breakfast."

"Pfft, talk is cheap love", Ranma replied as she slid into her own neutral stance. "Let's see what you've got."

The two combatants ducked and dodged around one another's fists and feet in what could pass as a complicated dance to an outsider. In one exchange, Ranma used a low level Ki blast in conjunction with a flurry of punches and knocked Akane into the pond. Ranma cheered for a moment before a soggy and annoyed raven haired girl climbed out of the water. The youngest Tendo glared at her girlfriend before promising retribution. They traded blows back and forth for a few more minutes when in a decidedly sneaky maneuver, Ranma wound up in the pond because the other girl flashed her.

"That was kind of cheap Akane, using your breasts like that", Ranma groused as she climbed out of the pond.

"One to one love, and it's not like you can't do the same to me. Anything Goes remember?", Akane replied as she danced around a little and giggled.

"Since you're expecting it I doubt I would catch you by surprise", the redhead replied evenly.

The raven haired girl shrugged and said, "Only one way to find out, besides it'll probably work considering how hot you make me."

"Ranma, Akane", Kasumi called from the porch, blushing profusely after having heard what the girls said and how she found them in bed with each other that morning, "Breakfast is ready."

The two girls nodded and sat down in their usual places around the table as the other Tendos and Saotomes filed in. The fathers looked troubled as they sat down after overhearing what the girls had said while they sparred with one another. On the one hand, they were ecstatic that Ranma and Akane were getting closer to one another but that joy was tempered because they seemed to be accomplishing that as girls. Was it possible they were involved with one another intimately? Such a thought would ordinarily have them dancing around and celebrating, but what if they were a lesbian couple? What would that mean for the schools? They couldn't really remember the last time Ranma had been male except for very brief periods of time. The fathers looked at one another and nodded as if to say, "We must get Ranma acting like a boy again so he and Akane can join the schools properly."

* * *

><p>"Rise and shine convicts!", a burly guard yelled, using his baton to rattle the bars of each jail cell as he walked along. "You will present yourself to the Detective and be respectful or else we'll have a little 'discussion'."<p>

"How dare you imprison the mighty Tatewaki Kuno you honorless cur", Kuno bellowed out as he seethed in anger. It was the same as every other morning since his capture and the other inmates, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi had long grown tired of it. "Just wait until I get out of here, the vengeance of heaven..."

"Oh shut up brother dearest", Kodachi said exasperatedly as she shook her head.

"Stick boy too too dumb...", Shampoo started when there was suddenly a loud bang like a gun going off.

"All of you will be silent", a cold and unyielding voice nearby said nastily. "Or else..."

"My apologies Detective", the guard replied as he bowed his head. "I thought they had learned their lesson by now."

"Don't worry about it", Miss Imikara said impassively before chuckling evilly. "Get a few of your men and take them to my chambers. I need to prepare them for trial..."

The inmates gulped in nervousness, not liking the sound of that one bit. The heavily muscled guard bowed and left the hallway while Gloss looked over her prisoners. She wasn't concerned about any of them putting up much of a fight, not while they suffered from the _Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion_. It was a handy technique in law enforcement and made prisoners, especially high powered martial artists really easy to deal with. She generally didn't have to worry about them escaping as they lacked strength to do much of anything. Maybe they could dig their way out of prison using a spoon but that was about it.

A few minutes later, four men walked around the corner and looked at one another as Gloss smirked while pulling out four straws. They looked at one another and shrugged as they pulled out the straws, the short one having to take Tatewaki. After that was settled, the men had their prisoners and escorted them somewhat roughly to Imikara's special chambers where Shampoo had been held that first day. The ex-amazon followed with a wicked gleam in her eye and a thin smile on her ruby lips.

* * *

><p>Ranma was standing in her room staring at her reflection when she heard a soft knock on the door. After calling for whoever it was to come in, she continued thinking about the upcoming events for the Saotome-Tendo families. Akane walked in and sighed, noticing how unprepared her girlfriend was as she stood there in a robe.<p>

"Ranma, why aren't you ready yet?", Akane asked softly as she smoothed out a long, flowing dark blue dress. It was moderately cut showing very little if any cleavage while its sleeves ran all the way down to her wrists. A small silver belt wrapped around her waist while the skirt portion hovered around her ankles. It wasn't an outfit conducive to fighting in particularly.

"You look beautiful Akane, but I think you should change into something you'll be able to fight in", Ranma replied softly as she turned toward her girlfriend who smiled at the compliment. "I have a really weird feeling something bad is going to go down. To answer your question, I'm not ready because I don't know what gender I want to be for this thing."

"You should probably go as a male", the tomboy said softly as she leaned in and stole a quick kiss. "Legally you're a guy and your documents and records are in your male form."

Ranma nodded and after kissing the Tendo girl again, they both left the room. While the redhead headed to the bathroom to change genders, Akane returned to her room and changed her dress into something more suitable for combat should the need arise. The raven haired girl had learned long ago to trust her girlfriend's instincts and wanted to be able to help. The tomboy stripped out of her blue gown and changed into a white blouse and pink jumper. It wasn't nearly as nice looking but it would suffice. She was used to fighting in a dress thanks to her Hentai Horde days. Sighing to herself, she brushed her hair one more time before threading her mid-back length hair through a white bow similar to Ukyo's.

A few minutes later, a male Ranma walked back into his room and traded his robe for a blue Chinese shirt and black pants combination. He really hoped he was wrong about the impending doom he had felt since his conversation with the Tendo matriarch.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._

_The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th, is actually going to be broken down into three smaller chapters as well as an epilogue bridging this story with the sequel. _


	15. Friday the 13th: Trials and Tribulations

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

_A/N: The trials may seem rather abbreviated. I'm not very versed in legal proceedings but I'm hoping it can be assumed that people are being called up as witnesses and all that. I don't really want to write a 30,000 word chapter going into minute detail about every little thing. I lack the patience to write such a thing and I'm quite certain no one would want to read it anyway._

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Fourteen

_Friday the 13th: Trials and Tribulations_

.

.

An hour later, the Tendos, Saotomes and Konatsu walked into the Nerima courthouse. The day of reckoning had finally come and everyone was feeling nervous for one reason or another. Nodoka, Ranma and Akane glared at the men when they suggested their two youngest could be married before they needed to appear for the trials.

"Don't even think about it old man", Ranma said heatedly to his father. "If Akane and I do get married it's going to be done properly so just get that idea out of your head right now."

"But...", Genma started only to protest until Nodoka grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off again for a private chat.

"Don't you get any ideas either Daddy", Akane said as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "I want to wear a wedding dress and have my family and friends present when the time comes. We're not even 18 and have yet to graduate from high school, why are you in such a hurry? It's not like we can do anything with the dojo for a few more years anyway."

"Huh? Why would you have to wait?", Soun asked in confusion.

"Simple, the government wants martial arts instructors to have a college degree in physical education these days", Nabiki interjected smoothly while winking at the young couple. "That means at least three more years, maybe five if that program is a four year degree. Oh sure, they could teach their children and friends without it, but if they want to run an accredited dojo and have more than a handful of students they will need college degrees."

"Five more years...", the elder Tendo said slowly and shook his head. What if there was a falling out between the two in the meantime? Their dream of a united dojo would disappear right in front of their eyes. No, they couldn't wait five years for the children to marry. Something would have to be done much sooner than that. Shame, there was someone on the second floor that could marry them that day. If only...

* * *

><p>After all seven members of the Tendo and Saotome families, along with Konatsu were processed as possible witnesses, the group walked into their assigned courtroom. The Tendo family lawyer, Mr. Fironchi, greeted them with a warm smile and conveyed his confidence that things would work out as planned. The group claimed their seats behind the prosecution table, starting with Ranma all the way on the left. Naturally, sitting next to him was Akane. Next to her sat Nabiki, Kasumi, Nodoka and her husband with Soun taking up the final place in their row. Konatsu, Mousse, Yuka and Sayuri sat in the first row of the spectator section which was just behind those reserved for the plaintiffs.<p>

Ranma looked around behind him and groaned as he said, "Great, the old ghoul is here. She's going to be trouble."

"Of course she is Ranma", Nabiki replied as she rolled her eyes. "Not only has Shampoo been arrested but we're suing her for damages too."

"Yeah, still doesn't mean I have to be happy to see the old mummy", the black haired boy replied sourly. "I'll be glad when she's gone permanently."

"Good luck with that", the middle Tendo quipped.

Detective Imikara walked in and Ranma noticed the harsh glares Cologne traded with the woman. He couldn't help but wonder about it for a few minutes before shrugging his shoulders, figuring he would never find out. Other people began filing in including the court reporter, bailiffs, Kuno defense team and then finally the public defenders for Ukyo and Shampoo.

"All rise", said a man on the left side of the room. Everyone rose to their feet as an older gentleman in his mid 50's with a full head of salt and pepper hair walked into the room. The man's piercing blue eyes looked around the courtroom and nodded as he sat down in the judge's chair. The caller continued, "The honorable Judge Kenshin Imikaza, presiding."

"Good morning everyone", Kenshin said as he gestured for everyone to sit down. "We are here today to settle the many grievances from the Tendo and Saotome families against the Kuojis, Kunos, and Chinese Amazons in both criminal and civil cases. Are all of the plaintiffs present?"

"They are indeed your honor", Mr. Fironchi replied as he motioned behind him. "Starting from your right: Ranma Saotome, Akane Tendo, Nabiki Tendo, Kasumi Tendo, Nodoka Saotome, Genma Saotome, and Soun Tendo."

"Detective Imikara", the judge addressed his wife formally, "Where are the accused?"

Gloss smiled and said, "Your honor, they are ready to be brought forth at your command. Who do you want first?"

"Bring them all in here, since they share a lot of the charges", Kenshin replied and the ex-amazon bowed as she left the room. A few minutes later the detective reappeared following four teenagers clad in orange jump suits, chains around their ankles and wrists bound together by a connector chain. Gloss returned to her station with a smirk on her lips as she looked at her grandmother in the audience.

Ranma caught the smirk and looked over at the old ghoul and noticed she was scowling, trying her best not to lash out at the woman. The pony tailed martial artist raised an eyebrow at that and shrugged, until Cologne looked over his way. He grinned and pointed towards Shampoo and silently laughed, trying to goad the old woman into doing something stupid. The Elder growled as she narrowed her eyes and mouthed, "You'll get yours sonny boy, just you wait."

"Mr. Fironchi", the judge said formally. "You may present your case."

"Thank you your honor", the older man said as he stood up and looked at the four teenagers. Not even bothering to hide the contempt in his voice he said, "These four delinquents stand accused of a myriad number of crimes in three principle areas. The situations my clients have filed criminal grievances for are as follows: Destruction of the Saotome Home, Destruction of the Tendo Dojo and finally Causing Strife and Misery in the Saotome's and Tendo's lives in general."

"There is also the matter of the civil lawsuits my clients are pursuing against Ukyo Kuonji of Ucchan's and Cologne of the Nekohanten", Mr. Fironchi replied.

"Very well", Judge Imikaza replied as he looked around the courtroom and spotted the Elder in question. He didn't think they would make it to the civil cases for a couple days but since she was Shampoo's guardian, she could be held accountable for her kin's actions.

The Tendo family's lawyer looked at the four prisoners and said, "First I wish to settle the Saotome case where the three girls, Kodachi Kuno, Ukyo Kuonji and Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku stand accused of: Assault, Breaking and Entering, Willful Destruction of Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and Conspiracy to Commit Grand Larceny."

"Kodachi Kuno", the judge intoned as he glared at the aristocratic girl, "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty", the Kuno lawyer team replied.

"Ukyo Kuonji, how do you plead?", he asked as he turned his attention to the okinomiyaki chef.

"Not guilty", the public defender for Ukyo replied.

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku, how do you plead?", Kenshin growled as he glared daggers at the young amazon.

"Not guilty", the public defender for Shampoo said.

"I see", Judge Imikaza said as he shook his head and sighed. It was going to be a long day. "You may proceed Mr. Fironchi."

"Thank you your honor", the older man said as he looked over at the detective with a raised eyebrow. Gloss nodded subtly as she thought how handy those potions of absolute truth she had stolen from the Nekohanten would be in resolving the mess quickly. The Tendo lawyer then cleared his throat and addressed the girls directly as he said, "Isn't it true that earlier this year you sought to steal what you believed to be an engagement ring from its rightful owner, Nodoka Saotome?"

"Objection!", the Kuno team and two public defenders cried out in protest.

"Yes", Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi all said simultaneously.

The judge shrugged and said, "Overruled. They admitted it fair and square council."

Mr. Fironchi smiled and continued, "Isn't it also true that in the process of trying to steal from Nodoka Saotome that you deliberately destroyed her house while assaulting Genma Saotome?"

"Objection! Mr. Fironchi is trying to force a confession for a guilty verdict", the defense teams protested.

"No, no, yes", the three girls chorused again.

"Overruled, I want to hear this", Kenshin replied as he raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"I went there to get the ring, not to hurt anyone or destroy the house", Ukyo replied as she looked through glazed eyes at Nodoka.

"Shampoo only want ring, no destruction. Panda get in Shampoo's way", the amazon replied as her eyes fell upon her great grandmother.

"Destroying the house of a peasant is of no consequence for one such as I", Kodachi said hauntingly and laughed her insane laugh causing everyone to cover their ears for a few seconds.

"I see", Judge Imikaza replied coldly as he glared at the aristocratic girl. "Well, aren't we all high and mighty miss Kuno. Perhaps prison will mellow you out some..."

"Prison?", Kodachi shrieked before adopting a snobbish attitude and continued, "Me? Don't be ridiculous. The Kuno..."

"Silence girl!", Kenshin thundered as he banged his gavel. "I'm adding Contempt of Court to your growing list of charges. If you wish to ever see the light of day again, you will be silent until spoken to. Do I make myself clear?"

Kodachi fell back startled into silence and merely nodded her head, too shocked to protest.

"Now then", the judge said sternly, "Whether you meant to destroy the house or not is inconsequential as it was in fact destroyed by your hand. Whether you meant to attack Mr. Saotome or not is irrelevant as he was attacked by you when he was defending his home and wife."

"Ukyo Kuonji", Kenshin Imikaza said without emotion, "you are hereby charged with: Assault, Breaking and Entering, Destruction of Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and Conspiracy to commit Grand Larceny. Your claim of damages of a stolen dowry against the Saotomes is hereby nullified as the damage to their house far outweighs the value of your little cart that was allegedly stolen by Genma Saotome eleven years ago. In addition, you are responsible for one third the costs they have incurred as a result of your attack making them homeless."

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku", the judge continued in his same no-nonsense voice, "you are hereby charged with: Assault, Breaking and Entering, Destruction of Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and Conspiracy to commit Grand Larceny. You are responsible for one third of the cost to rebuild the Saotome's home as well as one third the costs they have incurred because you helped make them homeless."

"Kodachi Kuno", the older man snarled in disgust, "you are hereby charged with: Assault, Breaking and Entering, Willful Destruction of Property, Attempted Grand Larceny, Conspiracy to commit Grand Larceny and Contempt of Court. You are responsible for one third the cost of rebuilding the Saotome's home as well as one third of the costs they have incurred because you made them homeless. I am going to fine you an additional two million Yen for your attitude and the fact that you were glad you disrupted their lives."

"This court is in recess for one hour", Judge Imikaza said as he banged the gavel and stood up in order to relax in his chambers for awhile.

The spectators murmured to themselves as they left the court room in order to relax, get something to eat and do some other things that people generally need to do after sitting for awhile. Detective Imikara went to her husband's chambers while the bailiffs escorted the prisoners to a holding area away from everyone else. The prisoners were speechless, each one for different reasons unable to believe the judge had ruled against them so viciously as they shuffled out of the courtroom.

* * *

><p>"Poor Ukyo", Akane said to her to fiancé as the two walked away from the courtroom. "It's her own fault of course, destroying your mother's house like that."<p>

"It's only going to get worse for her too", Ranma replied as the two of them walked outside into the sunshine. "You know, if she had just listened to me for once instead of always pressing the engagement, she wouldn't be in this mess and could happily be running her restaurant. Instead she's stuck wearing an orange jumpsuit and owes a lot in reparations to just my family, let alone yours as well."

"Reparations? My my, look who's become book smart all of a sudden", the Tendo girl teased and giggled softly.

"Uncute tomboy", the black haired boy muttered not quite softly enough.

"What was that baka?", Akane glared at him as she clenched her fists for a moment while her companion just stared at her. The angry facade splintered as Akane giggled again, unable to keep a straight face as Ranma started chuckling.

"I don't feel bad for Shampoo or Kodachi but Ukyo was the first friend I ever had", Ranma said as he sighed deeply. Akane wrapped her arms around herself for a moment as a chilly breeze blew through while they stood looking out across the courtyard. They noticed the skies darken as black clouds rolled in from the East and wondered idly how long it would be before it started raining.

"Do you think you'll ever want to be friends with her again?", the raven haired girl asked as she turned to look at the pony tailed young man standing next to her.

"Depends", the Saotome heir replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "If she only wants to be a friend and never pushes for more ever again it might be possible. She'll have to work hard to earn my trust though and would have to make it up to our families as well. Perhaps after all that, the three of us could be friends but I doubt it'll happen."

"You never know, maybe she'll be able to redeem herself", Akane replied as she turned her head to watch some of the clouds roll across the sky.

"I hope so...", Ranma said softly as he looked out across the courthouse grounds with a thoughtful look on his face.

* * *

><p>A little while later, everyone shuffled back into the courtroom and took their seats. Ranma and Akane noticed that Mousse and Sayuri were hitting it off rather well. The Saotome heir wondered where Mousse had been since the week before. Konatsu was talking with Kasumi but there seemed to be nothing romantic between them. They were talking like old friends and Ranma was curious when the eldest Tendo daughter would find a man she could love. His thoughts turned towards Doctor Tofu and wondered if it wasn't too late to get the two of them together.<p>

Doctor Tofu Ono sneezed as he walked towards the Nerima courthouse and stopped for a moment. Was someone thinking about him? Perhaps it was Kasumi. He had heard through the grapevine that the Saotomes-Tendos were going after the fiancée brigade for the destruction and misery they had caused over the last year and a half. He was curious as to how the whole thing would play out despite having left the area months prior. He was happy in his new location and with the cliental he had managed to build but an age old curiosity had gotten to him. He wondered idly if he would be able to talk to Kasumi at all or if he would just look like an idiot again.

A few moments later he found the courtroom and poked his head inside. He saw the woman he still liked turned halfway around in one of the benches talking to another girl in a kimono. Steeling his nerves and pressing a few pressure points on his neck, he walked up the aisle towards the elder Tendo daughter. If Kasumi saw or sensed his presence, she showed no sign of it as she continued to talk to the other girl. Tofu stood patiently for a few minutes while the two girls talked one another. It seemed as though they wouldn't stop so he cleared his throat to get their attention. Konatsu looked over at the doctor with an annoyed expression on his face.

Kasumi looked over at the doctor and sighed as she said in a slightly exasperated tone, "Hello Doctor Tofu."

Of course Kasumi had been aware of the man's presence pretty much since he poked his head through the doorway and was privately amused at his behavior. She still hadn't quite forgiven him for taking off without a proper goodbye. Now he was back and expected her to drop everything and what, rush into his arms despite the fact that she was talking to another man? Not that Konatsu looked much like a man at the moment wearing his colorful kimono.

"H-Hello K-Kasumi", Tofu said hesitantly and stood rigidly for a few moments before motioning with his hand to ask if he could sit down. Konatsu shot him an unfriendly glare but moved over when he caught the look in the elder Tendo's eyes.

"It's good to see you again even though it's rather strange that we should meet here of all places, is it not?", Kasumi asked sweetly despite her thoughts. '_I thought you were a family friend Ono. You just left without word to anyone and now, after all this time... You and I are going to have to have a little chat my dear doctor..._'

* * *

><p>"All rise...", a man on the left side of the courtroom said, interrupting Kasumi's thoughts. Everyone in the room rose to their feet as Judge Imikaza, Detective Imikara, and the four accused all walked back into the room. Everyone else returned to their seats when the judge sat down.<p>

"Court is now in session", the judge said as he banged his gavel. "Mr. Fironchi, you may proceed."

"Thank you your honor", the white haired old man replied as he stood up and continued, "I call on Ukyo Kuonji and Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku to answer for their part in destroying the Tendo dojo. The Kunos have charges to face in the event but they are more appropriate for the individual case which I will handle afterwards. What I want to do is deal with the destruction of the dojo itself. Ukyo Kuonji, Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku, you stand accused of the following: Willful Destruction of Property with Explosives, Attempted Murder, Criminal Recklessness, Trespassing with Criminal Intent and Conspiracy to commit all of the above."

"Ukyo Kuonji, how do you plead?", Judge Imikaza asked as he turned his attention to the okinomiyaki chef.

"Not guilty", the public defender for Ukyo replied.

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku, how do you plead?", Kenshin growled as he glared daggers at the amazon again.

"Not guilty", the public defender for Shampoo said.

"Very well", the judge said as he shook his head and sighed. "You may proceed Mr. Fironchi."

"Thank you your honor", the Tendo family lawyer replied as he turned his attention back to the two girls and glared holes through them. "You know, accidentally destroying someone's house trying to get something you thought you were entitled to is one thing, but to purposefully destroy someone else's residence while trying to kill them is quite another..."

"I wasn't try...", Ukyo started.

"Silence!", the judge thundered as he banged his gavel. "You will not speak until spoken to, am I clear?" The okinomiyaki chef nodded mutely and Kenshin continued, "You may proceed."

"Yes your honor", Mr. Fironchi replied as he turned his stone cold glare at the two girls and continued, "If you thought you were in trouble from what you've done to the Saotomes, you have another thing coming. The charges against you on the Tendo side of things are much more serious."

The older lawyer paused for a moment and then said, "Isn't it true that you willfully destroyed the Tendo's dojo with explosives despite Mousse and Konatsu trying to talk you out of it?"

"Yes", both girls said sullenly and Ukyo continued and asked, "May I speak?"

"No you may not unless questioned", the judge interrupted before turning to the older man and said, "Continue."

"Thank you your honor", Mr. Fironchi replied and continued, "Isn't it true you attempted to kill Akane Tendo with your okinomiyaki bombs?"

"No!", Ukyo exclaimed as a horrified look appeared on her face. "I only wanted to scare her."

"Yes", Shampoo replied. "Akane obstacle, obstacles are for killing."

There was a murmuring of voices in the spectator area with that confession, particularly from the plaintiff side. Cologne face palmed and shook her head, figuring that her great granddaughter had just consigned herself to rotting away in prison. The elder looked over at her granddaughter and saw the evil smile on the woman's face and felt her anger burn within her. How could she hate her daughter so much that she would enjoy seeing the girl suffer? It's true that Shampoo had used very poor judgment in recent months, especially given her actions in China as well, and deserved to be punished for them. The old woman closed her eyes and relaxed, realizing she had been sheltering the lavender haired girl too much and if she were a true amazon warrior, she would take her punishment like a woman rather than a mere male.

"Order in the court", Judge Imikaza growled as he pounded his gavel.

Mr. Fironchi glared at the young amazon and said, "You can't go around killing people just because they get in your way girl. This is the civilized country of Japan, not some backwater village in China where you think you can do whatever you want."

"Chinese...", Shampoo started.

"This isn't China!", the attorney snapped before the judge could react. "While you are here, you're subject to our laws and we really frown on outsiders trying to kill our own. How about we place a Kiss of Death on you and hunt you to the end's of the Earth?"

"Trying to convince that stupid girl or her great grandmother the fallacy of their laws is pointless", Detective Imikara said snidely as she walked towards Shampoo with a feral grin on her face. "They believe that it's their gods given right to take whatever they want because their idiotic law allows them to. When common sense conflicts with their thought process, they try to beat it aside or kill it. One of these days they'll kill someone affiliated with a party member and the Chinese Army will completely annihilate them."

"Enough! Miss Imikara, Mr. Fironchi, I want this settled today if possible", Kenshin growled as he banged his gavel and glared at his wife. "Now, if you are ready to proceed..."

"Yes your honor", the Tendo's lawyer said as he bowed slightly as did the detective. "Now, you girls claimed to have an invitation and while that was true, thanks to Nabiki Tendo, that only gave you the right to be there. Since you planned to blow up the wedding your right to be there was forfeit. Kuonji, you claim innocence in trying to kill Akane Tendo and yet you still threw your bombs around with little regard to others. What if someone had been seriously hurt or killed, would you have cared at all?"

"I'm sorry", Ukyo replied sorrowfully. "I only wanted to stop the wedding. I believed they were being forced into it by their parents and didn't want to be married. I thought I was doing them a favor."

"You mean you were trying to keep them from getting married and you mistakenly thought you could claim Ranma for yourself", Mr. Fironchi said as he shook his head. "Your actions were borne of selfishness, not for any true regard for the lives you were endangering."

"Objection, speculation", the public defender for Ukyo said.

"Sustained", the judge replied.

"I have no more questions your honor", Mr. Fironchi replied as he sat down at the prosecution table.

"Very well, Ukyo Kuonji", Kenshin Imikaza said without emotion, "you are hereby charged with: Willful Destruction of Property with Explosives, Criminal Recklessness, Trespassing with Criminal Intent and Conspiracy to commit all of the above. You are responsible for half the cost of rebuilding the dojo and sentenced to three years in prison plus ten years probation."

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku", the judge continued while glaring at the lavender haired girl in disgust, "you are hereby charged with: Willful Destruction of Property with Explosives, Attempted Murder, Criminal Recklessness, Trespassing with Criminal Intent and Conspiracy to commit all of the above. You are responsible for half the cost of rebuilding the dojo and are sentenced to ten years in prison with no possibility of parole plus lifetime probation."

"No!", Shampoo shrieked as she clenched her fists in anger. "You stupid male no can do this to Shampoo!"

"Silence!", Kenshin shouted as he leveled hid gavel at amazon while Gloss giggled at her daughter's predictability. "I have ruled, and just for that outburst I am adding Contempt of Court to your list of charges. This court is in recess for two hours and will reconvene at 2:00pm", Judge Imikaza said as he banged the gavel and stood to return to his chambers for awhile.

The spectators murmured to themselves as they left the court room in order to relax, get something to eat and other things that people generally need to do after sitting for awhile. Detective Imikara went to her husband's chambers while the bailiffs escorted the prisoners to a holding area away from everyone else.

* * *

><p>The Saotomes, Tendos, Konatsu, Doctor Tofu, Mousse, Yuka and Sayuri all left the courthouse together and headed for a nearby restaurant in order to get some lunch. The group splintered into its own subgroups with Genma, Soun and Nodoka taking the lead. Kasumi and Doctor Tofu walked together behind them. Next came Nabiki and Konatsu who seemed to be conversing about one thing or another despite the ninja's continuous glares towards the doctor. Following them were Mousse and Sayuri who were holding hands which caused the final group, Ranma, Akane and Yuka to smile at their friend's success. Yuka eyed her friends with a twinge of jealousy being the only one of the four not involved with someone. She didn't need to look to figure that Ranma and Akane were holding hands as they walked along.<p>

"I feel like a third wheel. You two have each other and Sayuri has Mousse now", Yuka groused as she walked along and looked at the group around her.

Akane and Ranma frowned but nodded as the raven haired girl said softly, "I'm sorry you feel left out Yuka. I could try to help you find someone if you want."

"I'll be okay Akane, thank you", the brown haired girl replied sadly. "I doubt there is anyone at school worth bothering with anyway. Maybe I'll just wait until I go to college."

"That's over a year away though. Do you really want to wait that long without even trying?", Akane asked quietly.

"Not really", Yuka replied when a thought occurred to her. "Hey I know, how about we share Ranma? You can have his female half and I'll take the male half?"

Ranma grimaced at that thought and shook his head violently while the two girls giggled. Akane playfully slapped her boyfriend on the arm and said, "She's kidding Ranma and besides, I don't want to share my fiancé anymore. It was bad enough I had to do that for most of the last year and a half with Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi."

Yuka frowned for a moment at the dismissal of her idea since she hadn't actually been kidding and sighed. It was going to be a long and lonely senior year if all of her friends were in relationships and she wasn't. She didn't want to associate herself with any of the Hentai Horde members so that left very few prospects at school. Outside of Furinkan, she didn't really know anyone and there was no way she would ever consider that Hibiki character after everything the lost boy had done to her friends. Yuka sighed wistfully and tried to put it out of her mind as she looked over at the girl she could never have.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ryoga and Taro landed in the Tendo's front yard and looked around. The lost boy thought it was strange that the house was closed up and no one seemed to be home. It was a around noon on a typical Friday and he figured at least three people would be present, the two old men who never did anything but play games and the maid that doubled at the Tendo's eldest daughter.<p>

"Why did we come here Ryoga? Femboy is probably at school", Taro asked as he scowled and cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah, let's go check there", the fang toothed martial artist said as he climbed on board the monster's back.

Taro took to the sky and flew towards Furinkan taking all of about five minutes to get there. The two martial artists looked around the grounds and didn't see anyone resembling either of Ranma's two forms and growled in annoyance. The two bullies walked around, grabbing random boys demanding to know where Ranma was. No one seemed to know and claimed they hadn't seen the gender bender all morning. Miss Hinako saw them and used her coin to drain both boys of their Ki, leaving them unconscious. She knew where Ranma was, as did all of the cursed youth's teachers, but said nothing and left the two boys in the courtyard.

* * *

><p>A little while later, the group of twelve arrived at the restaurant and splintered into two groups of six. Genma, Soun, Nodoka, Kasumi, Dr. Tofu and Konatsu all sat at one table while Nabiki, Mousse, Sayuri, Yuka, Ranma and Akane sat at the other. Myriad light conversations sprouted up amongst the different members of the tables while a waiter brought glasses of water and menus for everyone just before Nabiki's cell phone rang. The middle Tendo excused herself and got up before answering it.<p>

"Hello?", Nabiki asked, wondering who would be calling her since she was supposed to be in court all day.

"Miss Nabiki", a nervous female voice said from the other side. "I'm sorry to bother you but I'd thought you'd be interested in knowing that two boys, well, one boy and a monster are here at the school looking for Ranma. They were going around threatening the boys until Miss Hinako zapped them. They're unconscious for now but I'm sure they'll be even madder once they wake up."

"Thank you for telling me Saya, I'll pass the message on to Ranma right away", the middle Tendo replied, her face turning pale. A boy and a monster? "Saya, they wouldn't happen to be Ryoga and Taro would they?"

"I don't know", the other girl replied fearfully. "The monster is huge, has wings and looks something like a bull?"

"That's Taro alright and the boy, does he wear a yellow bandana and carry a red umbrella?", Nabiki said as she sighed heavily. Taro was bad news no matter what and if the other was Ryoga, they must be planning on trying to destroy Ranma in petty revenge.

"Yeah", Saya replied.

"Okay, that's Ryoga. I'll bet they've already been to the house. I sure hope they haven't destroyed it, we really don't need that complication right now", the brunette replied as she shook her head. After talking with her underling for a few more minutes, she headed back towards the table and relayed the message to Ranma.

"Ryoga and Taro working together?", Ranma asked as a memory from the evening before tickled his mind. "Nabiki, do I need to be at the courthouse for the afternoon hearings?"

"Ranma...", Akane said softly and grasped her boyfriend's hand as a feeling of nervousness sent chills down her spine.

"I think so", Nabiki said slowly, thinking for a few moments before continuing. "If you aren't, some of them might walk with lesser sentences. This is particularly true of Tatewaki and his attempt on your life at the wedding with live steel."

"I see, I'm just concerned what pig boy and the flying idiot will do when they don't find me home or at school", Ranma replied uncertainly. "I'd hate to see your house destroyed because of me."

"Better the house than your life", Akane said as she squeezed her fiancé's hand before turning serious. "Ranma, I want to be by your side when you face them. I owe that pig an ass kicking after what he did to me and we can watch each other's back. This way it'll be 2v2 instead of 2v1."

"I want to help too", Mousse said suddenly as he looked over at the couple. "Miss Tendo, the old mummy forbade me from informing you about the dishonest one's curse and I would like to make up for that if I may."

"Sure thing Mousse, welcome aboard", Ranma replied happily before turning towards his girlfriend and said, "I don't want you getting hurt..."

"Ranma!", Akane growled angrily as she stood up violently from the table. In her haste she bumped the table and Ranma's water glass tipped over, splashing him in the process. The Saotome heir shrunk as he changed into the red haired girl everyone was familiar with. The raven haired girl clenched her fists and shouted, "I'm a martial artist too or have you forgotten that?"

Ranma turned around and sighed softly as her eyes fell upon her girlfriend's smoldering brown eyes. Shaking her head, the redhead said calmly, "I haven't forgotten anything Akane. I know you're a great martial artist and that you want to help, thank you." This caused the rest of the table to look at her strangely as she continued, "I'm just worried you'll get really hurt. This is Ryoga and Taro we're talking about and you know how strong and durable they are. We haven't built up your toughness enough yet."

"Baka, you think I want to see you get hurt either?", the raven haired girl said in a softer tone as she picked her chair up off the floor and sat down blushing in embarrassment. The other patrons turned back around and returned to what they were doing before her outburst.

The Saotome heiress nodded her head as she took her girlfriend's hand into her own and said, "I would be honored to fight by your side and wouldn't have it any other way. We're a team and we should face everything together regardless of what it is."

"Exactly, wait what?", Akane asked as she and everyone else at the table did a double take and looked at the redhead more critically. Was it their imagination or did Ranma's personality suddenly switch after the splash? It seemed as though her speech, mannerisms not to mention her attitude about Akane helping completely changed in a blink of an eye.

Ranma smiled softly and gently squeezed the hand she held in her own as she said, "I love you Akane, I want you by my side no matter what we have to go through. I know you'll do fine against the pig and the minotaur. I couldn't ask for a better partner in both life and in a fight. We'll defeat them together."

Akane's cheeks turned crimson as she felt her insides melt. The raven haired girl stood up and blurted out, "Um, Ranma, can I talk to you in private for a few moments?"

Sayuri and Yuka looked at each other and rolled their eyes, having a strong idea what the Tendo girl really had in mind and couldn't help but turn a little pink. Mousse looked at them in confusion. Nabiki noticed and raised an eyebrow as she turned and watched her younger sister and future sister-in-law rush off towards the bathrooms. She smirked and thought, '_Ah, _s_o that's what those two are blushing about. Go get her Sis._'

* * *

><p>Akane dragged her girlfriend behind her for a few steps as they rushed off towards the bathroom. Stepping inside, the two girls barely registered the fact they were alone as their raging hormones surged through them, demanding satisfaction. They wrapped their arms around one another in a lover's embrace and pressed their chests into one another as their lips met gently for a few moments. It didn't take long for them to surrender to their emotions and their kisses became much more passionate and demanding.<p>

Somewhere in the back of their minds it occurred to them that they were too exposed in the main room to be making out like they were. The girls separated long enough for Akane to drag her girlfriend backwards into an empty stall before closing and locking the door.

The girls stared at one another for a few moments, desire burning deep within their eyes as they both licked their lips and relished the other's taste. They knew they couldn't enjoy one another like they had the night before in the tomboy's bedroom, at least while in a public bathroom, but they could kiss one another for a few minutes before someone sent a search party to look for them.

As they leaned forward to kiss again, Ranma tentatively placed a hand on her girlfriend's breast and gently squeezed while her other hand wrapped around the other girl's back. Akane moaned in pleasure at the soft, intimate touch and found her hands slipping down the redhead's back in order to cup the smaller girl's ass. This caused Ranma to moan in pleasure as the raven haired girl's tongue slipped into her mouth.

After dueling with their tongues for a few moments, Akane broke the kiss and said, "I love you Ranma, but your male side can be such a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes."

"I know", Ranma replied as she moaned at her girlfriend's ministrations before closing the gap between their mouths again after saying, "Just ignore the baka."

The raven haired girl giggled softly at how her fiancé was referring to her male side in the third person and insulting it. They continued to kiss one another and Akane thought back to the sudden switch. She couldn't help but wonder if there really were two personalities within her girlfriend. When Ranma was a guy, he was rather dour and used masculine speech and body language exclusively which considering everything was perfectly normal. However, a splash of water later and suddenly everything about Ranma became instantly feminine while her personality became rather open and vivacious. If one personality was controlling both sexes things couldn't change that quickly, could they? Even if they could, the two sides were so different from one another it still didn't make sense that one mind or personality was in control of both sides anymore.

As they held an especially long kiss, Akane's hand slipped underneath her girlfriend's boxers and squeezed the girl's fleshy posterior directly. Ranma let out a squeak in surprise but otherwise didn't object as she smiled at her girlfriend's playfulness. The raven haired girl grinned as her other hand slipped underneath her fiancé's shirt and cupped the redhead's breast before giving it a gentle squeeze. Ranma gasped and Akane used that moment to deepen their kiss as her hand began playing with the redhead's chest.

Ranma's hand fell off of her fiancée's breast and wrapped around the girl's back to join her other one. Akane withdrew her hand out of the redhead's boxers and embraced the love of her life in a one armed hug since her other hand was still busy.

"We should probably head back to the others", the redhead said disappointedly in between kisses.

Akane sighed and nodded as she removed her hand from her girlfriend's breast as she wrapped it around the girl's back again. They embraced one another for a few moments before separating and walking out of the stall. Making out was so much fun but people might begin to wonder about them if they remained too much longer. Now that it was somewhat out of their systems, Akane stole a quick kiss before leaving the bathroom. Ranma adjusted her shirt while running the hot water tap for thirty seconds and splashed herself when the water was finally hot enough, changing her back into him.

The raven haired girl poked her head inside and said, "It's all clear Ranma."

The two teenagers walked back towards their table, blushing slightly as they sat down, hoping no one would ask where they've been or what they were doing. After talking idly for a few minutes their meals arrived and most of the group ate in silence.

* * *

><p>Ryoga and Taro moaned softly as they woke up from their Ki draining induced nap. The two cursed teens looked around for a few moments, wondering where they were when Taro snapped his fingers and remembered. The minotaur headed over towards the school building and peaked in the windows as he flew passed, looking for the gender bender. He heard a lot of screaming and smirked but had no luck finding his target. A few minutes later he returned to where Ryoga was waiting and shook his head.<p>

"I guess Ranma isn't coming to school today", the part time pig said unnecessarily. "We could either fly around and look for him or just return to the Tendos and wait. He'll show up some time today."

"Yeah I guess", Taro replied somewhat sullenly as Ryoga hopped onto his back. He was looking forward to pounding on the black haired martial artist. The two cursed boys headed back towards the Tendo's house, hoping they wouldn't have to wait too long for their fun to start.

* * *

><p>The group of twelve walked back into the courthouse and sighed as they sat back down on their benches. They were getting tired and wanted to go home. The older men had been pretty bored all morning and wanted to get back to playing Go or Shogi. Nadoka just wanted the day to be over with. Kasumi was eager to leave the court drama behind and begin her date with Dr. Tofu. Nabiki was still somewhat interested in what was going on considering what it would mean for the family finances. Akane and Ranma were rather antsy from sitting around so much and were a little nervous about the fight they would have later. They couldn't count on Ryoga getting lost with Taro as his partner. Konatsu, Yuka, Sayuri and Mousse just wanted to be done with the whole thing but knew how important it was to the Tendo-Saotomes and tried to offer their morale support.<p>

Detective Imikara walked in with her head held high as she was followed by bailiffs and the accused. The lawyer teams were present as the last of the spectators filed in. The bailiff on the left side called for everyone to rise and Judge Imikaza walked in. He motioned for everyone to be seated and looked over his notes for a few moments before turning towards the Tendo's lawyer.

"I hope everyone had a pleasant lunch break", the judge said as he banged his gavel and continued, "Court is now in session. Mr. Fironchi, when you're ready you may proceed."

"Thank you your honor", the older man replied as he stood up and continued, "We've covered the girls vs. Saotomes, and Ukyo/Shampoo vs. Tendos. Now, it's time for the city of Nerima against Tatewaki Kuno, Kodachi Kuno, Ukyo Kuonji, Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku and by extension, Cologne of the Joketsuzoku."

"What?", Cologne yelled from the spectator section. "You can't charge me with anything, I have diplomatic immunity!"

Nabiki smirked as Judge Imikaza grinned and said, "You _had_ diplomatic immunity, once upon a time Elder. That was revoked quite awhile ago because the amount of trouble you and your great granddaughter were causing Japanese citizens. You should have gotten something in the mail informing you of such."

Mousse chuckled darkly as he pulled out an envelope from his robes and said quietly, "Oops, I guess I forgot to give her the notice."

The middle Tendo turned in her seat and grinned wickedly when she saw the blind weapons master holding an official looking envelope in his hands. She asked him quietly if she could see it and thanked the boy when he handed it over. Nabiki opened up the letter and read it, trying hard not to laugh and draw attention to herself.

"Well I never did...", the elder said irritably.

The judge shrugged and said, "Irrelevant. Stand with your fellow accused or be found in Contempt."

Cologne growled angrily but did as she was told, cursing in Mandarin the whole time she approached the four teenagers.

"#I suggest you behave yourself Elder. It's rather unseemly for a woman of your stature to behave like a child is it not?#", Gloss said with smug amusement in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"#Indeed, I will not warn you again#", Kenshin replied angrily as he glared at the matriarch. "#Just as you would not tolerate disrespect in your village, I will not tolerate it in my courtroom. Am I clear?#"

The ancient amazon glared at both her granddaughter and her husband, though she had no idea the two were married, and relented with a nod as she stood next to Shampoo silently fuming. It was so embarrassing to be talked down to by a male, but she knew he was right. In Japan, males were the dominate sex and this was his courtroom. He was in the same position of power she would be if she was home. Cologne looked towards Ranma and the youngest Tendo and growled angrily when she noticed that the two of them were laughing at her.

* * *

><p>Mr. Fironchi looked at the five people in contempt and said, "I call upon Tatewaki Kuno to answer for the following crimes against Ranma Saotome: Attempted Murder, Assault, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Harassment, both Sexual and Non-Sexual, Stalking, and Molestation."<p>

"What?!", Kuno shouted, "I have never..."

"Silence!", the judge thundered as he banged his gavel. "You will not speak until you are spoken to or are you too stupid to understand that? I've only had to remind a few others already. You will have a chance to refute the charges in a moment. Continue counselor."

"Yes your honor", the Tendo family lawyer replied. Why can't the accused just do as they're told for once? "Tatewaki Kuno, in the case of you against Akane Tendo, you stand accused of Assault, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Harassment, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Stalking and Molestation. How do you plead?"

"The great...", Tatewaki started.

"Just answer the question in one or two words", Mr. Fironchi said tiredly as he shook his head back and forth in annoyance. "Your flowery speeches are not appropriate here."

"Not guilty", the Kuno lawyer team replied.

"Tatewaki Kuno", the older lawyer said, "There is more than ample evidence and witnesses to convict you. Let's start with your morning assaults and the creation of the Hentai Horde at the beginning of your junior year, Akane Tendo's and Ranma Saotome's sophomore year. How many times did Miss Tendo say no to you when you asked her for a date? How many times did she have to defend herself against your unwanted advances? Too many to count and you should have been arrested a long time ago. You need to get this through your abnormally thick head, when a woman says no and then knocks you into a wall when you persist, she's not playing hard to get or whatever. She genuinely dislikes you and wants nothing to do with you. You claim to be a samurai and yet you act like a sexual deviant and bully."

Mr. Fironchi continued and said, "As for the charges against you on Ranma Saotome's behalf, there is ample evidence to convict you on all charges. Before you protest, finding yourself in Contempt, by saying you would never sexually harass or assault a man, there is something you really should have realized by now. Ranma Saotome, will you approach the bench please?"

The black haired boy nodded and stood up from his seat in the plaintiff's row. He looked back at his girlfriend and Akane nodded, giving her fiancé a small smile of encouragement. The lawyer had Ranma stand in front of Kuno and grab the kendoist's wrist. He then walked over towards the prosecution table and picked up a bottle of water.

"Mr. Kuno, watch carefully and notice the grip on your left wrist", the older man said as he poured some water over Ranma's head. Kuno's eyes bulged out and he watched in horror as his hated enemy shrunk and turned into the red haired goddess he had lusted after for a year and a half. He noted absently that the pressure on his wrist remained constant even as the hand shrunk.

Ranma let go of Kuno's wrist. In a soft and kind voice, the redhead said, "Senpai, do you understand now? All this time you wanted to date and kill me at the same time. I have a curse but I never enchanted Akane to make her dislike you. Can't you understand that the way to a woman's heart is not trying to beat her up or getting scores of horny perverts to do it for you? You asked her for a date and she turned you down. If you hold honor as highly as I think you do on some level, that really should have been the end of it. By persisting like you did, you've not only ruined her high school experience but made her very uncomfortable around guys in general. You also made me very uncomfortable with your advances and persistence. Please understand, we are not interested in you that way and I'm asking you nicely that you leave us alone from now on. You need professional help senpai, considering everything you've been through with your family and there is no shame in asking for it. Please, allow these nice people to get you the help that you need."

The was some light murmuring from the other accused as well as the spectators while Ranma walked back to her bench and sat down. Akane wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and gave the redhead a hug while Kuno looked on blankly, his whole world view crashing down around him. A few moments later Ranma and Akane's hands reached out for one another and intertwined with one another. The delusional kendoist fainted as his mind simply could not accept what he had witnessed and been told.

"Mr. Kuno?", Mr. Fironchi asked hesitantly and looked towards Judge Imikaza for instructions.

"We'll have to finish his trial later", the judge said tiredly as he shook his head in resignation. "There is no point in waiting for him to wake up unless he's only going to be out for five minutes or so. Proceed to your next defendant."

* * *

><p>"Yes your honor", the Tendo lawyer said as he looked over at the snobbish gymnast. "I call Kodachi Kuno to answer for the following: Assault, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Harassment, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Manufacture of Chemical and Biological Weapons, Possession of Chemical and Biological Weapons, and Stalking. How do you plead?"<p>

"Not guilty", the Kuno legal team replied.

"Of course", Mr. Fironchi muttered almost softly enough not to be overheard. Gloss giggled softly as her husband smirked while the Kuno team glared at the opposing council. "Well, just like your brother we have ample evidence to convict you as well. We know you've attacked Ranma's girl form believing her to have stolen your darling Ranma from you. We know that you have chemical and biological weapon labs in your mansion..."

"Objection! Evidence acquired in an illegal raid is inadmissible", the defendant's lawyers protested.

"Overruled", Judge Imikaza replied as he held up a piece of paper. "The police had a warrant to search the grounds, the mansion and the dungeons. Continue council."

"Yes your honor", the Tendo lawyer replied. "As I was saying, we know you have chemical and biological weapon labs and that you like to use poisons, paralysis powders and other things to subdue your prey. Then, depending on whether your target is a male you are stalking or a female you want to get rid of, you sexually assault or regular assault them. Maybe you don't harass Ranma as much as your brother but certainly more than the law allows. Do you deny any of this?"

"No", Kodachi said morosely as the potion of absolute truth flowing through veins compelled her to answer honestly.

"Very well", Judge imikaza said formally, "Kodachi Kuno, you are hereby found guilty as charged in light of your own admission. I hereby sentence you to ten years in prison with no chance for parole in addition to the reparations you are already ordered to pay for your crimes against the Tendos and Saotomes. You should know that we, the judicial system of Japan, have very little tolerance for rogue citizens manufacturing these types of weapons. Remove the prisoner."

A bailiff nodded and walked up to Kodachi. The once insane gymnast looked up for perhaps the first time in half an hour and looked at her one time love interest in the body of her one time hated enemy. Ranma looked back at the younger Kuno sibling and shook her head somewhat sadly. Kodachi nodded slowly and followed the bailiff out of the room without a struggle or protest.

* * *

><p>Kenshin sighed and nodded towards the Tendo lawyer as he said, "Call your next defendant."<p>

"Yes your honor", Mr. Fironchi replied and said, "I call upon Ukyo Kuonji to answer for two counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon. One was against Nabiki Tendo during lunch at school and there are plenty of witnesses available to testify. The second was against Kasumi Tendo which Konatsu witnessed and stopped."

"Objection!", Ukyo's public defender said. "If you're going to charge my client for assaulting Nabiki Tendo you should charge Ranma Saotome for putting Ukyo Kuonji in a wall."

"Sustained", the judge said as he searched out the redhead in the plaintiff section and said, "Ranma Saotome, you are hereby called to the stand. You will tell the court why you attacked Miss Kuonji."

"Yes your honor", Ranma replied as she walked up to the witness stand and was sworn in.

"Now, what happened that day at lunch?", the public defender asked.

"I was eating lunch on the roof minding my own business when Ukyo approached me", the redhead replied as she looked over at her ex-friend briefly. "I wasn't in the mood to talk since I was still angry with her for destroying my mother's house and the Tendo's dojo. Finally, she left me alone but I had a feeling it wasn't over, so I followed. The next thing I know she's yelling at Nabiki about one thing or another. Then, for some reason she decided to attack a girl who is not a martial artist. I decided to step in and blocked Ukyo's attack preventing my future sister-in-law from being hurt. Given how I was feeling about her already and the fact that she tried to attack an innocent I was rather upset and used a martial arts technique called a Ki-blast to knock her into the wall that surrounds the school."

"Ukyo Kuonji, do you have anything to say for yourself?", Mr. Fironchi asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the chef.

"No sir, I was wrong to attack Nabiki. I was also wrong to try to attack Kasumi which I'm sure Konatsu will be more than happy to tell you about", Ukyo replied morosely as she looked down at the floor. Any charges she wracked up for her attack on the Tendo's was probably inconsequential considering what she was facing already.

The judge nodded and said, "Ranma Saotome, you may step down. Konatsu, I call you to the stand and I want you to tell me what transpired that lead to Ukyo assaulting Kasumi."

"Yes your honor", Konatsu stood up and walked up to the witness stand as Ranma returned to the plaintiff bench and sat down next to her girlfriend. Akane took her lover's hand in her own and gently squeezed the smaller girl's hand.

"Konatsu, what happened the day you saw my client attack Kasumi Tendo", the public defender asked.

The cross dressing ninja looked at Kasumi for a second before turning his eyes on Ukyo before sighing heavily. "Your honor, in order for justice to truly prevail, I need to make a correction and tell you what really happened. On the day the accused allegedly attacked Miss Tendo no such attack actually happened. Kasumi entered Ukyo's restaurant to order lunch like any other person any other day. The two of them got into a heated discussion in which Ukyo said something quite offensive and Miss Tendo slapped her. She then proceeded to leave the restaurant. Ukyo wanted to go after Kasumi and attack her but I stopped the accused from leaving the restaurant. To my knowledge, she never actually attacked Kasumi."

Very well, thank you Konatsu. You may step down", the judge replied as he looked around the courtroom. "Ukyo Kuonji you are hereby guilty of one charge of Assault with a Deadly Weapon. You are sentenced to one year in prison which is to be served consecutively to your other prison term. Bailiff, remove the prisoner."

A bailiff nodded and walked up to Ukyo. The okinomiyaki chef looked up with tears running down her face and looked over at her one time friend/love interest. Ranma looked back at the brown haired girl and shook her head somewhat sadly. Ukyo nodded slowly and followed the bailiff out of the room without a struggle or protest.

* * *

><p>Mr. Fironchi sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes for a moment before saying, "I call Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku to answer the following charges: Assault, both with a Deadly Weapon and Sexual, Attempted Murder, Harassment, both Sexual and non-Sexual, Manufacture of Chemical Weapons, Possession of Chemical Weapons, Stalking, Molestation, Attempted Kidnapping and Conspiracy to commit all of the above. How do you plead?"<p>

Shampoo's eyes widened as she started shaking her head but wisely said nothing. The amazon couldn't believe some of the stuff they were trying to pin on her.

"Not guilty", the public defender replied unsurprisingly as the Tendo lawyer rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Hold on a moment", Judge Imikaza said as he looked at both Mr. Fironchi and Shampoo's public defender. "Councils, approach the bench."

Mr. Fironchi looked over at the detective and they frowned, certain something was going to go wrong. He sighed as he stood up and approached the judge's station as his counterpart for Shampoo did the same.

"Mr. Fironchi", Kenshin said quietly as he covered the microphone with a hand. "I understand you want to charge Shampoo with everything she's done since arriving nearly a year and a half ago but that is not appropriate despite our personal feelings on the matter. Cologne's diplomatic immunity extended to her kin and protected her until recently. Now, what has Shampoo done lately since the expiration of her protection?"

"Your honor", the Tendo lawyer said pleadingly. "Isn't there anything we can do? She's gotten away with too much just because of her great grandmother."

"My hands are tied, you know that", the older man said as he shook his head sadly. "I must uphold the law regardless of emotional or personal bias."

"Other than what she's been charged with in regard to the destruction of the Saotome's home and the Tendo's dojo, everything else was while she was still under Cologne's protection I believe", Mr. Firochi said bitterly.

"Then I have no choice but absolve her of your charges, at least outside of the Saotome home and Tendo dojo", the judge replied. "Return to your stations."

The two men bowed and returned to their tables as the Tendo lawyer growled in frustration. He sat down and sighed heavily before a small smile crossed his lips. Shampoo might not be getting life in prison because of her multiple attempts on Ranma and Akane's life but she was still getting ten years. If she did anything to violate her probation for the rest of her life she would find herself in jail again.

"Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku", Kenshin said as he regarded the two amazon women grimly, "You are hereby absolved of charges outside what you have been convicted of in regards to the Saotomes and Tendos. Before you celebrate, know this: You are going to prison for ten years and will be on probation for the rest of your life. If you commit another crime, even something as minor as shoplifting a stick of gum, you will be going back to prison."

"Cologne of the Joketsuzoku", the older man continued sternly, "You've abused Japan's hospitality for the last time. Unfortunately, since everything I know that you've done was while you had diplomatic immunity, I can't throw you in jail where you belong. I can however, deport you as expulsion is excluded from diplomatic immunity clauses. There is also the civil matter the Tendos are suing you regarding the misery you and your great granddaughter have caused them as well as their live in guest, Ranma Saotome. Your restaurant is to be confiscated and turned over to them as reparations to do with as they see fit. You have twenty four hours to clean out your personal effects and then you are on your way back to China or wherever you want to go as long as it's not part of Japan."

"This court is in recess until 9:00am Monday morning", Judge Imikaza said as he banged his gavel. "Guards, remove the prisoners. Seeing as how Tatewaki Kuno is still unconscious we'll finish dealing with him Monday."

As Cologne and Shampoo were escorted out of the courtroom, the older woman glared at her granddaughter and the judge. Gloss turned to follow but took a moment to inform her husband she would monitor her grandmother and make sure the old ghoul would follow the court order.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_I hope this chapter turned out alright. I think this was my least favorite one to write actually. When I was originally going to deal with all this legal stuff I was going to summarize it rather than go into near the detail I have. The only reason I did that is because a lot of people seemed to be interested in the trials over the course of the story. _


	16. Friday the 13th: Ryoga's Revenge

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Chapter Fifteen

_Friday the 13th: Ryoga's Revenge_

.

.

Ranma sighed heavily as she, along with the rest of her family, the Tendos, Dr. Tofu, Yuka, Sayuri, Mousse and Konatsu walked away from the courthouse. As the group of twelve headed towards a nearby bus stop, the redhead reflected on her day so far starting with her midnight conversation with Kimiko Tendo. She felt nearly completely drained and it seemed as though a week's worth of drama had somehow been crammed into the span of sixteen hours. Ranma glanced over at her girlfriend who turned to look at her with a matching expression on her own face.

Akane squeezed the redhead's hand she was holding and said, "Are you alright Ranma? You look like you're going to pass out."

The Saotome heiress nodded weakly and said, "I feel like I just want to collapse on the sidewalk and take a nap. How about you?"

The raven haired girl giggled softly and nodded as she said, "You should probably wait until we're on the bus but I know how you feel. How are we going to face Ryoga and Taro like this?"

"If they're waiting for us at home, maybe we should stay somewhere else tonight and come back in the morning", Ranma suggested uncertainly as she looked around at their friends. Yuka and Sayuri traded glances and nodded as they fell into step with the couple.

"Nabiki", Yuka called to the middle Tendo walking ahead of her and asked, "Can I borrow your cell phone for a minute?"

The short haired girl nodded and handed the somewhat bulky contraption to the other girl as she said, "What's going on Yuka?"

"I want to call Mom and see if it would be alright for Akane and Ranma to sleep over at my place tonight", Yuka replied as Nabiki pulled the phone out of her purse. "They're too tired to deal with Ryoga and Taro today."

"Hmm, I hope those two idiots don't do anything stupid when you don't show up Ranma", Nabiki replied as she considered the amount of Yen she could make with the delay from ticket sales, betting pools and the like. It would be especially useful if the fight were to be held in an open area, such as the soccer field at school.

"Hello Mom?", Yuka said after dialing her home number. "Would it be alright if a few friends came over this afternoon and stayed the night? I'm sorry it's so last minute but it was a kind of spur of the moment idea and it's Friday. If it helps, we also have that project the four of us were assigned that we need to work on. Really? Great, I'll let them know. Oh, well, Sayuri, Akane and her cousin Ranko. No, I know you've never met her but I promise she's really nice and I'm sure you'll like her. Okay, thanks Mom. We'll be there soon, we just got out of court. Bye."

Yuka thanked the middle Tendo and handed the phone back to the girl as she said, "She's looking forward to meeting you Ranma, although to be honest, she is going to wonder about you considering your lack of normal female attire."

Ranma blushed slightly and nodded, knowing what the other girl was talking about. "I guess I can tell her the truth in that my father raised me as a boy and because of that I'm quite the tomboy."

The other girls, including Nabiki, giggled at that and shook their heads before Akane protested half heartedly, "Hey! Watch the tomboy cracks when you're saying things like that baka. I'm a tomboy too but at least I still dress properly."

The redhead stuck her tongue out at the other girl but sobered somewhat and said thoughtfully, "Um, it looks like we're going to have to stop by the house after all Akane. We don't have our school supplies or anything else we'll need for a sleepover."

"Maybe we can sneak it and grab our stuff really quick", Akane replied before raising her voice towards the others and asked, "Can the rest of you distract Ryoga and Taro for a few minutes?"

"Ah, how do you want us to do that?", Soun replied as he traded glances with Genma and gulped nervously.

"Well, you could tell them that if they want to fight with Ranma they will have to meet him at school in the morning on the soccer field", the youngest Tendo replied as she looked over at her girlfriend uncertainly. Ranma nodded slightly as the other girl continued, "They shouldn't have an issue with anyone other than the two of us and I would hope they would be willing to spare the house. We only need a few minutes to get in and out."

"Assuming the house isn't wrecked already...", Nabiki said sourly as she dialed another number in order to prepare for the upcoming battle the following day. She figured the news of a big fight being held on a Saturday would draw plenty of interest generally as there was no school or anything. The problem with this particular Saturday was it happened to be Valentine's Day and that could make all the difference. While celebrating a day dedicated to love and romance, would anyone want to want to watch four martial artists beat the crap out of each other? Considering that two of the principals were Ranma and Akane, probably. Nabiki didn't have to wonder long what would bring in more money, a mix couple or pair of girls squaring off against two boys.

Nabiki smirked as that sudden thought blossomed into an idea and she asked, "Ranma, when you fight tomorrow are you going as a guy or a girl?"

Alarm bells went off in both Ranma and Akane's head as the smaller girl regarded the middle Tendo curiously and asked, "Why?"

"Just curious on how to sell the fight", the short haired girl replied as she shrugged her shoulders as though it was more of an afterthought.

Ranma's face split into a feral grin as she nodded and said slyly, "I plan to fight those morons as a girl. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize that a couple of 'weak and silly' girls beat the stuffing out of them."

Everyone stopped and stared at the redhead in surprise for a few moments as Akane asked, "Are you sure you really want me to help you fight them? You don't think I'll just get in way?"

"Akane", Ranma said softly as she squeezed her tomboy's hands lovingly. "You're a great martial artist in your own right as well as my girlfriend. Why do you think I wouldn't want your help? Remember what I said back in the restaurant, about us being a team and that I want you by my side no matter what?"

"Ranma...", Akane said softly, deeply touched by her girlfriend's words and her brown eyes shimmered slightly. "Did you really mean that?"

The Saotome heiress nodded as her face split into a huge grin and replied, "Of course. I meant every word then and I mean them now. Let's show those two macho perverted jerks what _we_ girls can really do!"

Nodoka couldn't help but smile at her daughter's enthusiasm and the affection between her and the girl she loved. When Genma started bemoaning that his son was acting like a weak and silly girl, she decided she would have to re-educate the fat lout when they got back to the Tendos.

Akane's face split into a huge grin as she wrapped her arms around her fiancé's back and pulled the other girl into a near bone-crushing hug. She let go when she heard Ranma gasping for breath and their friends informed her that the redhead was turning blue.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget my own strength", the raven haired girl said and blushed as she smiled sheepishly before releasing the smaller girl. Their hands interlaced with one another again as the group of twelve continued towards the bus stop.

"Gorilla", Ranma said teasingly as she lightly squeezed her girlfriend's hand affectionately.

Akane looked at her companion in mock anger for a moment before she smiled and started giggling softly. Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma all smiled and joined in a couple of moments later.

* * *

><p>A half hour or so later, the party of twelve stepped off the bus near the Tendo estate. A block away from the gates, Yuka, Sayuri, Mousse, Ranma and Akane broke away from the others and found a place to wait for the signal. While they rode back on the bus, it was decided that the adults along with Nabiki would inform Ryoga and Taro that Ranma would meet them at noon the following day on the school's soccer field. If that wasn't good enough for them, tough, as the gender bender would not be coming home that night. While the two belligerents were occupied, Nadoka would leave the estate as if she were going to go shopping and inform Ranma and Akane they could sneak inside.<p>

The remaining group of seven walked in through the gates, feeling nervous at how they would find their residence. Nabiki figured the house would be trashed and let out a huge sigh of relief when everything looked intact, at least from the outside. There seemed to be no new holes in the dojo or the house itself.

"Who are you and why are you trespassing on my property?", Soun demanded when he spotted Ryoga and Taro lounging around in his dojo.

"You know who I am Mr. Tendo", Ryoga said amicably as he pointed towards the Chinese boy sitting next to him. "This is Taro."

"Ah yes", the elder Tendo said snidely and cracked his knuckles as Nodoka slipped away towards her child's hiding place. "The ever honorable pervert, P-chan, who dishonored my daughters by pretending to be a pet pig. I should kill you right now."

Nabiki and Kasumi glared at the lost boy as the older Tendo daughter snarled, "I warned you what would happen if you ever came back."

"Oh please, you can't do anything to me", the lost boy said with an air of boredom. "I'm not here for any of you weaklings anyways. Where's Ranma or is he too much of a coward to get what's coming to him?"

"Not here obviously or else you'd see him", Nabiki replied snidely as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell me something P-chan, do you want to go to the vet?"

"Quit calling me P-chan!", Ryoga shouted as his patience, which surprisingly he had somehow managed to keep all afternoon, finally started boiling over. He looked around at the gathered adults and noticed that Akane was missing as well. Growling in irritation that he couldn't act on his plans he stood up and started pacing.

"Get off my property and never come back, or I'll show you the true meaning of pain", Soun said angrily. Ryoga looked at him the man had grown a second head and chuckled darkly, completely unfazed by the elder Tendo's threat.

"You know", Nabiki interjected slyly as she held out a hand. "If you give me 5,000 Yen, I will tell you where you'll be able to find him tomorrow around noon. You're welcome to go there and fight him then."

"Nabiki!", Kasumi shrieked as the rest of the group gasped. "H-How could you sell out Ranma that way?"

"Sold", Ryoga said with a feral grin on his face as he looked through his pack and pulled out five 1,000 Yen bills. He walked up to the middle Tendo and placed the bills in her waiting hands.

The middle Tendo grinned as she slowly counted the bills and said, "Easy. I never really liked the guy for all the trouble he's caused around here. I figure there's nothing wrong with extracting a little cash out of him now and then to pay for the damages he causes." Nabiki turned back towards Ryoga and said, "Now Hibiki, I owe you some information. If you want to fight Ranma tomorrow, you can meet him on the soccer fields at Furinkan High School around noon. I'm assuming the two of you plan to fight him at the same time?"

Taro and Ryoga nodded as their right fists punched their left hands. The lost boy scowled and said, "Damn it, I want to crush Ranma now! Where is he?"

"Yeah, I want to beat up on femboy now as well as tomorrow", Taro replied as he cracked his knuckles loudly.

"Oh my!", Kasumi said as she frowned while Doctor Tofu looked at the two boys and scowled.

"I'm sorry but Ranma isn't here tonight", Nabiki replied silkily as she sauntered up towards Ryoga and put a hand on his shoulder. "I can't reach him either, but there's supposed to be something big going on at the school tomorrow and he said he would be there. In fact, we're all going so we can even lead you there. Maybe that way you won't be three days late to your fight this time."

Ryoga growled as he pushed the middle Tendo's hand roughly off his shoulder and resumed his pacing, annoyed at the short haired girl for bringing up his two curses. His plans weren't ruined, they were just delayed yet again. Considering how much time he had already spent setting up his ultimate revenge, he wanted to get to it already. He knew tearing apart the Tendo's residence wouldn't help any, assuming Nabiki could be believed, Ranma wouldn't know what was happening to show up and stop him.

"Where is Akane?", the lost boy ventured in mild curiosity though he was pretty sure he knew the answer, or at least who she was with.

Nabiki held her hand out and said, "3,000 Yen."

Grumbling a few curses, the lost boy said, "Never mind. She's probably out with that honorless bastard Ranma somewhere."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ranma, Akane, Mousse, Yuka and Sayuri were standing a block away from the Tendo estate waiting for Nodoka to tell them the coast was clear. About fifteen minutes later, the group of teenagers spotted the Saotome matriarch walking towards them.<p>

"Ryoga and Taro are in the dojo", Nodoka said as she stopped next to her child. "I don't know how long Soun and Nabiki are going to be able to keep their attention so you'd better hurry."

"Thanks Mom", Ranma replied and gave her mother a quick hug.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma took off running towards the Tendo home to get a change of clothes and their school satchels. They approached the house from the garden side and leapt up onto the roof next to the window that lead to Ranma's bedroom. The redhead slid the window open and the two girls climbed inside.<p>

"Let's make this fast", Akane whispered to her girlfriend as she left to go to her own room.

The Saotome heiress looked through her closet for a specific outfit she had been waiting to use for over a week. Her smile turned feral as she thought, '_I'll bet Ryoga and Taro get a nosebleed when they see me in this. It might distract them enough to make a difference._'

Ranma quickly stripped off her clothes Chinese clothes and boxers so that she could put on proper female underwear. She hoped it would avoid some uncomfortable questions from Yuka's mother. She gathered her school supplies as well as her overnight bag and was ready a couple minutes later when Akane walked back into her room. Sharing a quick kiss, the two girls snuck out of the redhead's room and headed back towards their friends waiting for them a block away.

"How did it go?", Yuka asked as her two friends rejoined them in a nearby alley.

"Perfectly", Ranma replied as the four of them started heading for Sayuri's house so the reddish brown haired girl could pick up her things. "Say, where did Mousse go?"

"He said he had to go take care of something and would see us at Furinkan tomorrow for the fight", Sayuri replied slightly dreamily as her thoughts drifted back towards the Chinese weapon master.

* * *

><p>After stopping by Sayuri's house and exchanging pleasantries with the elder Moriega for a few minutes, the four girls continued on towards Yuka's apartment building. Ranma looked around and smiled, the building was a deep red color and fairly pleasing to the eye, especially as the sun's waning rays shined upon it. It was four stories high and looked as though it was made out of brick. There were balconies on each floor, allowing each family to have a nice area where they could sit outside and look around the city.<p>

"My mother is looking forward to meeting you Ranko", Yuka said as she unlocked the front door to the complex itself with one of her keys before leading the three girls to her family's apartment.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?", Ranma asked, wondering how many new people she would be meeting.

"No, I'm an only child", the brown haired girl replied as she unlocked the door and called out, "Mom, I'm home!"

"Welcome home Yuka dear", Kiara Hagisaki said as she walked into the entryway and noticed her daughter's guests. She knew Sayuri and Akane already of course, so her eyes wandered over to the petite redhead standing shyly behind the other two girls. "You must be Ranko Tendo, I'm really happy to meet you finally."

"Thank you Mrs. Hagisaki, it's a pleasure to meet you as well", Ranma replied as she bowed in greeting.

"Why don't you girls head to Yuka's room and get comfortable, I'll bring some snacks up in a little bit", the older brown haired woman replied. "I'm afraid dinner is going to be late. My husband's meeting is running late and the department head wants to go out for drinks afterwards."

The girls nodded and walked down the hallway towards Yuka's room where they got comfortable. They sighed tiredly and pulled out the project that was due in a couple weeks. They had no idea what they missed that day at school since they had to go to court as possible witnesses. A few minutes later, Mrs. Hagisaki walked in with two trays of snacks and green tea. Ranma eyed the tea warily and moved into a crouching position, just in case Kiara tripped and sent hot tea flying in her direction.

It was rather fortunate that Ranma was prepared, for as soon as Yuka's mother was just about to kneel and present the trays her foot caught. The redhead's blue eyes, along with the brown eyes of her three friends widened in surprise and dismay as the hot liquid flew out of the tea cups towards the Saotome girl. Time seemed to slow down as Ranma sprang backwards in order to avoid the splash before returning to a crouching position. Everyone looked at her in shock and the redhead placed a hand over her heart as she sighed in relief.

"Oh dear", Mrs. Hagisaki said as she covered her mouth with a dainty hand. "I'm so sorry Ranko, my foot caught on the rug."

Ranma closed her eyes for a moment to quell her racing heartbeat and said, "It's alright ma'am. I just have a nasty reaction to hot liquids and burn easily."

The older woman nodded her head as she looked around at the mess and said, "I'll be right back with something to clean this up. I'll brew up another batch of tea and try to avoid tripping next time."

The girls chuckled uncomfortably and returned their attention to the project as they munched on the cookies and crackers Yuka's mother had left for them. After the older woman was out of earshot, the other girls scooted around the redhead and wrapped an arm around her as they tried to calm her down. The last thing they wanted was for Ranma's secret to be exposed and it had been far too close of a call. The Saotome heiress was conveniently out of the room when Kiara returned with some towels and a new batch of tea.

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful for the group. An hour after the incident with the green tea, Yuka's father returned and the six of them sat down and ate dinner. Once introductions were made and Ranma told the adults a little about herself, the four girls talked about their project. After dinner, Yuka showed Ranma her paintings that hung on the walls of the apartment. They alternated between talking and working until it bedtime.

Kiara brought in three futons and the girls arranged them before slipping out of their street clothes and into pajamas. Ranma, despite her orientation, paid little attention to the other girls as they stripped as she didn't want to make them uncomfortable. Akane too for her part decided not to watch her girlfriend too intently. It really wasn't a good idea to allow her sexual desires, which seemed to manifest themselves too easily lately, to present themselves. Their friends had asked them, understandably, to refrain from making out in front of them and she was determined to respect their wishes.

Just like at Sayuri's, once the light was snapped off, Akane slipped into her girlfriend's futon and the two girls shared a kiss or two before settling down and trying to get to sleep. The raven haired girl wrapped her arms around her lover's midsection before they traded their 'I love yous' and closed their eyes.

* * *

><p>(Saturday, February 14th, Valentine's Day)<p>

The next morning arrived without incident and Ranma slowly opened her eyes only to find one of Akane's hands cupping her breast underneath her pajama top. Despite the compromising position, the redhead smiled as she reached under her top and dragged the other girl's hand across her breast and down her abdomen. Her eyes flashed in mischief and she continued to drag Akane's hand even further down, underneath her panties and in between her legs. She started directing her girlfriend's fingers into her folds, just to see how the girl would react if she woke up and realized where her fingers were. Ranma moaned softly at the touch and started squirming as she felt warmth spread throughout her body. A few moments later she noticed she didn't have to direct her lover's fingers anymore and they were moving on their own accord. She retracted her hand and started massaging her breasts as Akane fingers continued to dance. The redhead wondered if her girlfriend was acting out a dream or was awake.

"Akane?", Ranma ventured softly as she drew out a moan she hoped wasn't too loud.

"Yes love?", Akane asked in a quiet voice filled with desire as her fingers continued to slip around the other girl's folds.

"That feels really good, but this probably isn't the time or place to be doing this", the redhead said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I know, but you're the one who put my hand in her pants and started touching herself", the Tendo girl said softly as two of her fingers dove into Ranma's womanhood.

"I was curious how you would react if you woke up with your hand in my panties. I guess you were awake before I was though", the Saotome heiress replied as she moaned in response to her fiancée's touch and removed her hand from her pajama top.

Akane smirked and pulled her hand out of her girlfriend's panties as she whispered, "Yeah. I woke up and slipped my hand under your top to see how you would react waking up that way. I guess we were both feeling a little adventurous and I'm assuming by your little act of boldness that you're ready for that step for real when we're alone tonight."

Ranma flipped herself around so she was facing the other girl and smiled as she nodded. "I think I'm ready for what you wanted to show me the other night now."

The two girls leaned forward and kissed for a couple minutes before Akane said, "Good. I love you Ranma. I really want to show you what that means. I know how much you enjoyed it the other night and things get even better than that. Happy Valentine's Day love."

"I love you too Akane. Happy Valentine's Day", the redhead whispered before claiming her girlfriend's lips for a long and passionate kiss until they heard two throats clearing from somewhere nearby.

"Alright you two, quit making out in my bedroom", Yuka said with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I know that's what you're doing even if you're sparing us the sight of it."

Ranma and Akane blushed furiously as they sat up in their shared futon and said in unison, "Sorry."

The girls climbed out of their futons and put them away before changing out of the pajamas into what they would wear that day. Sayuri looked around at the other three girls in various levels of undress and found that the sight didn't excite her at all, much to her relief, as she slipped into a pair of blue jeans and a dark green long sleeve shirt. Yuka's eyes wondered over her friends' bodies as she rooted through her bag for a pair of white pants and a light pink long sleeved blouse with a red floral print in honor of the day. She smiled softly as her eyes wandered over Akane's half naked form but shook her head trying to drive the image out of her mind. Akane belonged to Ranma and no amount of wishing would ever change that. She knew she had to release her friend and wondered how long until her heart would lead her where she needed to go.

Ranma and Akane watched each other change in light of their abbreviated make out session and blushed as they took in each other's naked body for the few seconds they were completely nude. They licked their lips and forced themselves to look away. The reaction was not lost on the other two girls one bit. Akane reached into her overnight bag and pulled out a pair of black pants similar to what Ranma usually wore along with, a blue Chinese shirt?

The redhead frowned as she pointed at the clothes and said, "Did you raid my closet Akane?"

"Yes", the raven haired girl replied sheepishly as she slipped on a bra and panties before donning the Chinese clothes. "I wanted to try them out. I hope you don't mind."

"No of course not, but I would appreciate it if you'd ask before you borrowed things", Ranma replied in a mock stern manner as she crossed her arms under her bare breasts, lifting them up in a pleasing manner. Akane blushed slightly as she shrugged while the other two girls giggled softly.

Ranma rooted through her overnight bag and pulled out the outfit she had picked out the evening before and smiled. After putting on a standard white bra, the Saotome heiress slipped into a pair of light purple leggings with a red floral print on them. She pulled out a darker purple short sleeved Cheongsam made out of silk. On the front of the dress a red dragon wrapped around her left breast and the girl smiled at how the fabric felt on her skin. Ranma gathered her hair into a ponytail using a black and red floral scrunchy. She looked at her armguards and decided she would hold off on putting those on until it was time to leave for the soccer fields.

"Ranma?", Akane asked in wonder as she stared at her girlfriend and how beautiful the girl was in her current outfit. "You're absolutely beautiful..."

"Thank you Akane", Ranma replied as she blushed lightly. "You look really nice too."

"Are you sure you're going to a fight Ranma? I mean Akane looks the part but you look like you're going out on a date", Yuka said teasingly as Sayuri and Akane nodded their heads in agreement.

"I am going out on a date", the redhead replied as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss. "We just have to beat up pig boy and that pantyhose guy real quick first."

"Oh, that reminds me", Yuka said as she opened her drawer and pulled out some money. "I want to place a bet on you two mopping the floor with those jerks. You know Nabiki is going to be running some betting pools on something as big as this."

"Of course", Ranma replied as she pulled out a purse from her overnight bag and grinned. "I plan to bet heavily on Akane and myself. After all, Ranko Saotome doesn't lose..., too often anyway and she definitely doesn't lose with Akane Tendo as her partner."

"When did you get the dress and purse?", Akane asked, blushing heavily at her girlfriend's comment which caused Yuka and Sayuri to giggle softly.

"The other day when we went to the mall for Karaoke. You don't remember? You were there when I bought them", the Saotome heiress replied with a silly grin on her face. "I am a girl after all, I should have some of the same stuff girls have."

"Speaking of that", Sayuri said seriously as she looked at her friend thoughtfully. "I hope you don't get splashed or you're going to look absolutely ridiculous in that outfit."

"I know", Ranma replied softly as she crossed her fingers while the other girls giggled softly.

* * *

><p>As the morning waned and noon approached, many groups of people could be seen heading for Furinkan High School. Genma, Nodoka, Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, Ryoga and Taro made up one such group with varying emotions flitting across their faces as they walked along. Ryoga and Taro, unsurprisingly, cracked their knuckles in anticipation for the upcoming fight. Soun and Genma had relaxed their efforts to remove the two boys when it was brought to their attention that it was a challenge fight against the Anything Goes style. They were content to let Ranma, heir of the school, handle it and save themselves from injury trying to remove them. Soun would be a little less thrilled if he knew Akane planned to fight along side her fiancé. Nodoka and Kasumi were worried despite knowing that the black haired boy was a great fighter. They were unsure if Ranma could stand against Ryoga and Taro at the same time. Nabiki was looking forward to making a killing. She had advertised the fight as girl Ranma vs. two strong and durable guys hoping that most people would bet on the boys. She had every confidence her future sister-in-law could beat them both but the redhead had another weapon available, her little sister. The middle Tendo wasn't sure how good Akane was but seemed to have Ranma's confidence based on what the girl had said in the restaurant the day before.<p>

"This will truly be a grand fight Saotome", Soun said as they walked along towards their children's school.

"Quite right Tendo", Genma replied before a scowl crossed his features. "I hope so. The boy has gotten soft lately spending all his time with girls."

Nodoka, Nabiki and even Kasumi turned to glare at the overweight misogynist as his wife said coldly, "Need I remind you husband, that just because Ranma is training Akane doesn't mean he is getting soft. He's finally helping his fiancée and practicing for when he becomes a sensei himself. Maybe you should take lessons from my son after the brutal and abusive methods you used."

"Ranma is finally growing as a person Uncle Saotome", Kasumi said cheerfully. "He has interest outside of martial arts which any real person should have. It's so nice to see him with friends and being able to enjoy being a teenager for once."

Genma growled irritably and shook his head bemoaning that his perfect living weapon was making himself soft and weak with distractions. Training girls? What was that boy thinking?

The females just shook their heads at the fat man's hypocritical one track mind. After all, with how much time the part time panda spent drinking and playing shogi, who was he to talk about living only for the Art like he tried to force his son to? Soun regarded his friend warily and wondered how the man could still believe the garbage he spewed after all the time that had elapsed.

Fifteen minutes later, the group of seven arrived at Furinkan High School. Nabiki pointed over towards the soccer field and informed everyone that was where the fight would take place as Doctor Tofu walked up. The middle Tendo immediately splintered off from the group to talk to her lieutenants in order to see how the betting pools were coming along. Ryoga and Taro headed over towards the field to see if their prey was going to be man enough to face them. The parents followed the two boys so they could get good seats to watch the upcoming match.

Kasumi and Tofu walked around the school grounds and noticed a booth selling tickets for a Valentine's Day dance the school was hosting that evening.

"K-Kasumi, would you be interested in going out with me tonight?", Tofu stuttered as he considered buying a couple of tickets for the dance.

"Silly Tofu, of course I would", Kasumi said happily as she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well", the older man said shyly as he looked down at the ground nervously, "I was thinking I could take you out to dinner then if you were up to it, we could go dancing."

"Here or somewhere else?", the elder Tendo daughter asked shyly as her olive eyes turned towards the booth again. She had never been to a dance at school before and even though she had graduated a few years prior and her companion even more, she wanted to go to the one at her old high school.

"Well, I don't know...", the doctor trailed off, uncertain she would want to go to a dance sponsored by her old high school. "How do you feel about partaking in the one here tonight?"

"I would love to", Kasumi replied mischievously as a glint appeared in her eyes. "It would give us a chance to keep an eye on Akane and Ranma not that we need to spy on them I think."

The older Ono man nodded and walked up to the booth, asking if he could buy two tickets for his date who had never been to a school dance. The girls selling the tickets looked at the couple in question and nodded, figuring the two of them weren't likely to be any trouble as opposed to Ranma and they had sold him a ticket. Kasumi and Tofu walked around the school grounds holding hands for the little while they had before noon.

* * *

><p>Akane and Ranma were in the girl's locker room after having spent the last hour going through katas and relaxation exercises to prepare for the coming battle. They were busy contemplating whether or not to have cold or hot water available in order to trigger their opponents' curses. On the one hand, it wasn't very honorable to take Ryoga out of the fight like that, but then was it honorable for Taro to go into super mode? Was this battle a challenge match or would the two boys have ambushed them without warning at the Tendos the night before.<p>

"What do you think we should do Akane?", Ranma asked as they both looked at the bottle of water. "I don't think pig boy or Taro are going to fight honorably. We saw Pantyhose out there in his normal form but I'm sure he has some water available so he can fight as a chimera from the beginning."

"Yeah", Akane agreed as she considered what else Taro might be holding. "He might have some hot water to restore Ryoga in case we try to neutralize him. Is it really cheating? Or is this just another case of Anything Goes?"

"I think we should be prepared for any contingency. Let's take the water with us just in case", Ranma replied as she picked up the two bottles and handed one to the other girl. "I'll hold the cold water and you take the hot alright?"

The raven haired girl nodded and asked, "Are we ready for this?"

Ranma shrugged as she looked up at the clock that hung on the wall which read 11:55. "We'll be fine love, I promise. Remember to keep your emotions under control and don't let them control you. I know you hate Ryoga, so do I, but we can't allow that hate to consume us or we'll lose. Soul of Ice. You're a great martial artist Akane, the best partner a girl like me could ever hope for and I believe in you. I trust you. We'll defeat those two losers together. Promise me you'll remember the most important thing..."

"What's that?", Akane asked as she felt her spirits soar with her girlfriend's encouraging words and faith in her.

"I love you very much, no matter what happens", the redhead replied as she leaned forward to capture her fiancée's lips in a long and passionate kiss as she slipped her arms around the other girl's back. Akane wrapped her arms around her lover's back and squeezed gently.

After holding the kiss for a minute or two, Akane broke it off and said huskily, "I love you too, more than I can possibly say. Shall we go tear the pig and minotaur apart now?"

"Absolutely", Ranma replied as the two girls walked out of the locker room hand in hand and walked towards the soccer field.

* * *

><p>Ryoga and Taro were pacing around, clearly agitated that their quarry seemed reluctant to show himself for the pounding they felt he deserved. Nabiki was standing nearby to start the match when she noticed two petite girls walking hand in hand towards her. She narrowed her eyes and smirked at the likely reactions the boys would display when they saw their opponents.<p>

Turning towards the two boys, the middle Tendo asked, "Ryoga, Taro, are you two ready?"

"Been ready since last night", Taro grumbled as he punched his hand with his other before scoffing at the sight of two girls walking towards him, holding hands no less! "What is this?"

"Ranma you slime!", Ryoga shouted when he noticed the couple in front of him as his eyes widened in surprise. The fact that Ranma was a girl wasn't a huge deal, but seeing his hated rival dressed so girlishly and holding the hand of his obsession without so much a complaint from either threw him completely. "How dare you contaminate Akane by forcing yourself on her as a girl no less. Have you no shame? You dare call yourself a man?"

"What Akane and I do together publicly or privately is of no concern of yours pig boy", Ranma retorted disdainfully and then turned to her girlfriend and smirked, "As for calling myself a man, I haven't misspoken so grievously recently, have I love?"

"No love, you haven't and I'm finding it more and more difficult to control myself around you. You truly are the woman of my dreams and no mere man, let alone these pathetic _boys_, could possibly take your place in my heart", Akane replied as she batted her eyelashes before leaning over and kissing the redhead's lips softly for a few moments. They wrapped their arms around one another and embraced each other lovingly. When they separated the two girls licked their lips as they looked deep within each other eyes for a few moments before turning their attention to the two boys nearby with looks of disgust on their faces.

The reaction from the spectators, combatants and Nabiki herself were quite varied. Ryoga, Taro as well as most of the males in the audience along with a couple females tried in vain to prevent a nosebleed at the spectacle. Genma and Soun were on their feet shouting their displeasure that Ranma was acting like such a girl and kissing his fiancée as a girl and in public. Nodoka and Kasumi did their 'oh my' gasps while covering their mouths in shock. Yuka and Sayuri were laughing at everyone else's reactions, having been told in advance about the shock and awe tactic the girls were going to use to start with in an effort to throw the boys off their game. Nabiki just stood there, slacked jawed as she witnessed her little sister and houseguest confirm every rumor that had ever spread about Akane's sexuality without a care in the world.

'_She's really accepted herself finally, Ranma too, after all this time. You go Sis, I know I've never been that brave_', Nabiki thought to herself as she picked her jaw up off the ground. Clearing her throat, she looked at the four fighters, two of which were still embracing one another lovingly and the other two which seemed to have a glazed look in their eyes and asked, "Um, are you four ready?"

The girls separated and started circling around the boys and said, "We're ready."

"Boys?", Nabiki ventured cautiously as she waved a hand in front of their faces. Slowly, the glazed look diminished and determination set in as they slowly turned to match Ranma's maneuvering. Neither Ryoga nor Taro believed Akane to be much of a threat and she wasn't the one they wanted to pound anyway.

"Akane", Ryoga said hesitantly. "Why are you out here? Taro and I challenged Ranma to a fight, not you."

"Besides the fact that it's two versus one, Ranma and I are a team", Akane said firmly as she began collecting her passion Ki in order to prepare a few Ki-bolts. "If you challenge one of us, you challenge both of us. More than that though, I will not allow you to hurt my girlfriend. I love her too damn much to stand by and do nothing while you two try to kill her."

"I see femboy has to have his little girlfriend help him in a fight, typical pussy", Taro said scathingly as he pulled out a water bottle in preparation of dumping it over his head to trigger his curse.

Ranma giggled for a few seconds before saying, "Do you really think calling me a femboy or pussy makes any difference to me? I AM A GIRL!"

"Ranma...", Akane said as she shook her head before glaring at the Chinese boy for his vulgar term.

"If you four are ready...", Nabiki said hesitantly, really wanting to get out of the middle of the soccer field.

"Nabiki", Akane said casually as she motioned with her eyes towards the audience. "I think we're all ready."

"In that case", the middle Tendo said cautiously just before sprinting towards the audience and shouting, "Go!"

Less than a half second later two bright red energy bolts lanced out from both Ranma and Akane's hands streaking towards Taro's water bottle. The Chinese boy's eyes widened at the sudden attack and growled angrily when the bottle was destroyed causing what water that would hit him to heat up and reverse the change.

"You'll pay for that bitches!", Taro shouted as he leapt at Akane while Ryoga launched himself at Ranma with his combat umbrella ready to take his rival's head off.

Ranma ducked and weaved around Ryoga's angry slashes as she activated her _Soul of Ice_. She could feel the temperature inversion and decided against using her cold water to take Ryoga out of the fight, at least for the moment. The cursed pig's strikes were getting closer and closer though as somehow the berserking teen was getting faster.

'_Hmm, maybe bacon breath has improved some after all_', the Saotome girl thought as she dodged another particularly close swipe of the impossibly heavy bamboo umbrella. '_Thank goodness for the Soul of Ice or else it would feel like a blast furnace out here._'

"Stand still and fight!", Ryoga shouted as he lunged at his annoyingly incredibly mobile opponent and tried a new tactic as he sneered, "Looks like your little girlfriend was easier to beat that I thought."

Ranma leapt away from the spiral and looked over at the fight between Taro and Akane. The redhead sighed in relief when it looked like she was holding her own just fine and realized that Ryoga had tricked her. She just smirked for a moment and decided that blasting the pig with a _Hiryu Shoten Ha_ thirty seconds into the fight would make it far too short.

"Nice try pig boy", the Saotome heiress said as she launched another Ki-blast at her one time friend. Ryoga's eyes widened and he tried to dodge but wound up catching the blast in the ribs. He stopped long enough to start growling when another blast hit him center mass knocking him off his feet.

"Damn you Ranma!", Ryoga shouted as he stood up, quickly pulling a couple of bandanas off of his head. Before he could launch them though another two Ki-blasts were hurtling at him. Ryoga knew he couldn't dodge them both and leapt to the side catching another blast in the right ribs. He felt two of them crack, maybe even break entirely, and pain flooded his mind. The other one probably would have tagged him in the groin and it was reasonably safe to assume that would have hurt a great deal more.

"Give up bacon breath", Ranma said casually as she fired off another Ki-blast that streaked right towards the boy's groin. "You haven't been a match for me for awhile now."

The lost boy dodged the Ki strike and could feel his anger change to depression as realization sunk in that Ranma had somehow taken everything away from him again. Even if he locked the redhead in her cursed form it wouldn't matter. According to Ranma and Akane's own declarations, the girl in front of him would never lose the tomboy's love. In fact it sounded like Akane would actually prefer to be with a woman, a world view he was not prepared to face and even less to combat. A lime green aura began forming around him as he tried to focus his depression energy into a massively powerful _Shin Shishi Hōkōdan_. Akane was lost to him, so what better revenge than to make the girl lost to rival as well.

"I'm going to take everything you care about from you Ranma, mark my words", Ryoga said as he launched into an umbrella offensive as he allowed his heavy Ki to continue to build. He needed it to gather into a large sphere he would then target over Akane and Taro's position. If it worked, the two other fighters would be killed, or at least seriously hurt which would devastate the girl in front of him. He thought back to his plan to lock Ranma as a girl and wondered if it could be tweaked to lock him as a guy instead, knowing how much that would actually hurt his rival and her girlfriend.

Ranma could tell something was definitely off with her one time friend. After Saffron it seemed as though Ryoga was mellowing out and the two of them had a begrudging respect for one another. It seemed as though he had given up on Akane and was pursuing Akari. What had happened for the boy to renew his vengeance and obession to the degree it had been back when they had been reunited nearly two years ago?

The redhead sighed and shook her head as she continued to dodge Ryoga's increasingly reckless attacks. She needed to end this quickly as she couldn't help but worry how her girlfriend was doing against Taro. Apparently the minotaur had only the one bottle of water or else the tomboy would be in more trouble than she was when Ranma glanced over at her last time. Ranma lead the lost boy into an even tighter spiral as she leapt back and around dodging umbrella strikes. Ryoga was mad, there was no question of that and the redhead could see the hate burning in the part time pig's olive eyes.

Suddenly, from across the field, Ranma heard her girlfriend's voice as she shouted, "_Hiryu Shoten Ha_!"

Ryoga stopped attacking for a half second and looked over at the tornado appearing around Taro and Akane, not believing his eyes. That was probably the worst time to take his eyes off his opponent though as Ranma unleashed her own tornado as she shouted, "_Hiryu Shotan Ha!_"

The audience gasped in surprise, fright, panic, whatever as two tornadoes sprouted up over the soccer field. Akane and Ranma leapt out of their tornadoes and ran towards one another ready to face off against either one of the boys should they be in the mood to fight after landing. When the dust settled though, the boys were no where to be found. The two girls embraced one another fiercely and kissed, long and hard for a few moments before turning back towards the audience.

"Congratulations Akane, you defeated Taro all by yourself", Ranma after they had separated and curtsied to their schoolmates who were clapping for one reason or another. Even the boys, who knew they had no chance to win Akane even more than they already thought were still impressed with the two girls' fighting abilities. The remnants of the Hentai Horde vowed then and there that they would never chase Akane Tendo or Ranma Saotome ever again. None of them thought they'd survive a tornado ride.

"I almost wish you had left Ryoga around though", Akane said with a feral grin on her lips. "I still owe him an ass kicking for masquerading as P-chan."

"You'll get your chance love, I guarantee it", the Saotome heiress replied and their hands interlaced with one another as they walked off the soccer field towards their friends, Yuka and Sayuri. "I don't think pig boy is going to give up that easily but it would be nice if he left the boyfriend home next time."

Akane giggled as she squeezed her girlfriend's hand slightly just before they were surrounded by the other students offering congratulations.

* * *

><p>In the background, Soun and Genma glared at their children uncertain what to do. The joining of the schools, at least how they originally intended it, was threatened for two women could not marry under current law. Even if they could, they wanted a male heir but Ranma seemed to be turning his back on his original form. They thought about confronting their children but the thought of going for a ride in a tornado really didn't appeal to either one of them. Soun was reasonably certain his baby girl wouldn't attack him in such a manner but Genma was under no so such illusion. The part time panda knew too well that his child would send him on a windy trip faster than he could blink.<p>

"What are we going to do Saotome?", Soun lamented. "Your son is becoming more girlish with each passing day. The schools will never be joined if we don't do something!"

"Quite right Tendo", Genma replied as he furrow his brow in concentration. It didn't take long for the strange look to disappear and change into a look everyone was more familiar with, cluelessness. "Maybe it's time to take the boy on a training trip and cure him of his girlishness once and for all."

"You've looked for two years without success", the elder Tendo replied as he looked out at the two girls still celebrating their victory. "They're such good friends now. I'm afraid things will go back to the way they were when you two first arrived if we destroy my baby girl's best friend."

"It has to be done Tendo", the part time panda said earnestly. "I'm losing my son to his curse and soon male Ranma will be nothing more than a memory. Tomorrow I'm going to head out and see if I can't find a cure. Maybe without me around he'll come back some, as I suspect a lot of his girlish behavior is to make me mad. Now that Nadoka has accepted him as her daughter and son, I can't count on her help in restoring Ranma to the man we know he is. She always wanted a daughter and was devastated when she couldn't get pregnant again after Ranma was born."

"Why would you try to take her daughter away from her then?", Soun asked in confusion. "You said so yourself, she's happy with Ranma being her son and daughter and yet you want to deprive her of that."

"My son is all but gone already", Genma replied irritably. "I need to restore him back to himself. It's the only way our dream of a united school will ever come to pass. Nodoka will understand and come around eventually."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Nodoka?", the black haired man replied as he looked over at the matronly woman in question who was conversing with Kasumi and Doctor Tofu.

"It'll be fine Tendo, you worry too much", the fat martial artist replied as he clapped his friend on the back. "Come, let us enjoy a drink at a local bar and wash away our worries."

The two men walked off, each wondering why the other man was acting the way he was. Soun couldn't understand why his friend would risk depriving his for once happy wife of the daughter she had never had just to have a son all of the time. Genma couldn't understand why the Tendo man was against curing his son when he would have been in favor of it for so long. Was Soun content to join the schools with two women at the helm in what, a lesbian relationship? Maybe they were just friends and that kiss was designed to freak everyone out and wasn't real. It didn't matter, to join the schools properly and produce an heir, one of them needed to be male.

'_If Ranma won't become a man, then perhaps Akane will..._', Genma thought darkly as an evil grin appeared on his face while he walked along side his friend towards the pub they had decided to visit.

* * *

><p>Taro groaned as he woke up from his impromptu nap upon landing after his trip via Air Akane. He pulled his aching body out of the dumpster he had landed in and tried to stand despite feeling as though the ground was tilted sideways.<p>

'_Damn, that mouse sure knows how to pack a punch_', Pantyhose groused to himself as the ground stabilized under his feet finally. His body ached in more places than he was aware he even possessed and was art least thankful his legs weren't broken. Gently touching his body, he discovered that half of his ribs were at least cracked, though he suspected they were broken. His left shoulder was dislocated. He found he couldn't stand up straight because something was wrong with his back. There was no way he escaped without a concussion and his nose felt like it was bent funny. Aside from those injuries, there were numerous scratches, abrasions and welts all over his body as far as he could tell. He was very much aware of the pain in his groin from one of the tomboy's vicious kicks.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ryoga was in a similar situation as Taro and tried to haul himself out a dumpster he had landed in. Whereas Taro landed squarely in the dumpster and his fall had been cushioned somewhat, the lost boy had landed hard on the roof before bouncing off and winding up in the dumpster. It was only because of his Bakusai Tenketsu training that he had survived at all. The lost boy sat in the dumpster for a few minutes categorizing his injuries. Thanks to Ranma's Ki blasts, the only attacks his rival had actually hit him with, Ryoga noted darkly, several of the ribs on his right side were broken and he had a large bruise on his chest. The tornado ride and subsequent fall had damaged a number of other parts of his body. The lost boy examined himself and found that his left ankle was sprained, a few ribs on his left side were broken while the others were cracked. Further examination proved that the left shoulder was dislocated, his nose was bent funny and he was quite sure he had a concussion. Scraps and welts covered most of his body and his clothes were in tatters.<p>

"Damn you Ranma! I'll make you pay for this, and your little girlfriend too!", Ryoga shouted to the heavens as his hand sought out his pockets, a small jewel falling into the palm of his hand. '_I wanted to beat the shit out of you in honorable combat, man to man. You refused, now I will truly break you without lifting more than a couple of fingers with this. All I have to do is make sure I make it back to the Tendos or Furinkan and you'll get yours at long last._'

* * *

><p>Akane, Ranma, Yuka, Sayuri, Kasumi, Tofu, and Nodoka all headed back towards the Tendo estate in high spirits, happy that Taro and Ryoga were defeated. Nabiki had stayed behind to settle the bets that her schoolmates had made regarding the battle. Everyone except the two martial artists were in awe about the twin tornadoes that swept through the soccer field and removed the two boys from area. Doctor Tofu wondered idly if they were okay as a medical curiosity but didn't worry about them on a personal level, considering all the trouble they had caused. Kasumi worried too but pushed the thoughts aside for a similar reason the doctor did. Nadoka was happy to see the trash taken out figuring they deserved what they got for their treatment of her sondaughter. Yuka and Sayuri had seen the tornado Ranma created when he was plagued by the _Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion_ Happosai had decided to punish him with. As impressive as _that_ tornado was, it was still quite a feat to see two of them side by side, just like their creators.

While Nodoka was in the kitchen making lunch, the four girls were in Akane's room talking excitedly about one thing or another. Kasumi and Tofu sat near the Koi pond and talked quietly, learning more and more about one another before the date they would be going on in a few hours.

Time passed and eventually Nabiki came back home after lunch was served. She found the four girls who had dented a substantial portion of the bets sitting around her baby sister's room working on a project from school.

"Girls", the middle Tendo said after she knocked and was allowed entry. "I have your winnings from the battle this afternoon and I have to say I was a little surprised. I thought I had given good enough odds favoring Ryoga and Taro to match the four of you betting on the Twister Sisters " Nabiki chuckled at the weird looks she got from the four girls at the nickname and said, "Oh yes, that is your new nickname even though sisters generally don't kiss one another like the two of you did in front of everyone."

"Anyways, here's what you've earned for winning", Nabiki said as she handed out stacks to bills to all four girls. "Now comes the part where I was dumb to even offer this as an option. Some of the boys wanted to bet that you two would kiss one another and asked me to post long odds on such a thing occurring. I thought for sure it was a sucker's bet but you two managed to prove me wrong, again. Fortunately, despite all of the money I'm handing out to you four and a few others, I did manage to make more than I lost so thank you."

Grumbling softly but loud enough for everyone to hear, the middle Tendo said, "It would have been better if you two hadn't kissed one another though..."

"You mean like this?", Akane asked playfully as she grabbed her girlfriend's chin and pulled the other girl closer so their lips touched for a few moments.

"Akane, Ranma", Yuka, Sayuri, and Nabiki all complained as they rolled their eyes in exasperation while the middle Tendo continued, "Can't you do that in private?"

"Sure", Ranma quipped as she returned her fiancée's kiss before the two girls let go of one another and smiled radiantly at one another. The Saotome girl smirked as her voice took on a mischievous quality and she said, "It's fun to tease you though. You should see us in private, then again, maybe not."

Akane giggled and said, "What she said." The other girls just growled in annoyance which caused the newly dubbed Twister Sisters to laugh even harder.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Ranma and Akane were in their own rooms getting ready to go to the Valentine's Dance their school was hosting. Even though Nodoka and Nabiki were the only other people in the house at the moment, the couple decided to bath separately and not give in to temptation. Ranma was standing in her underwear looking through her closet for something suitable for a day that seemed to scream pink, red and white. Sighing softly, she wrapped a robe around her body and headed towards Akane's room.<p>

Akane looked up when she heard a soft knock and asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me", Ranma replied. "Are you decent?"

"Not exactly, but it's not like you haven't seen me before anyway. Come on in", the raven haired girl said as a grin spread across her face.

Ranma opened the door slowly and poked her head and swallowed hard. Her girlfriend was standing in the middle of her room without a scrap of clothing on her. Spread out on the girl's bed were many bras and panties and either Happosai had tried to do some sort of raid or she was trying to decide what combination to wear. The redhead walked in and closed the door behind her as her blue eyes roamed up and down her lover's body and she licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Something on your mind love?", Akane asked as she picked out a light red bra and panty set. She smiled at her girlfriend who nodded at the selection and grinned. After putting on the red underwear, Akane put the rest away in her drawers wondering what could be troubling the other girl.

"I was looking through my closet for something suitable for tonight's dance but I don't really have anything that's white, pink or red", Ranma replied finally, after dislodging the lump in her throat from seeing what her girlfriend was going to be wearing under her dress.

"Hmm, well, I know you don't like pink...", the Tendo girl trailed off as she walked into her closet and started looking through her nicer dresses.

"Actually... Akane?", Ranma said hesitantly as she looked at the floor and wrung her hands together. "It's true in the past I never really cared for the color pink. It's a pretty color though and I'd like to try it out if you have one suitable for the occasion."

The raven haired girl poked her head out of her closet with a strange look on her face but shrugged as she said, "Sure. I have the one I wore the other day to Sayuri's. What brought this one though?"

Ranma shrugged off her robe and let it fall onto the floor before sitting down on her girlfriend's bed. "Remember when I told you I had an interesting dream the other night, before we had to deal with all that unpleasantness at the courthouse?"

Akane walked out of her closet, still clad only in her underwear and sat down next to her fiancée wrapping an arm around the smaller girl waist. "I remember."

"Well, in my dream there were two of me", Ranma said as her hand sought out the other girl's and their fingers intertwined with one another. "We were in a church that was decorated for a wedding. Male Ranma, along with Ryoga, Hiroshi and Daisuke were on the groom's side while Yuka and Sayuri were on the bride's side. We were in the back, getting you ready to walk down the aisle. I was the maid of honor and wore this really beautiful pink dress. I went ahead to inform everyone else that you were ready. Your father escorted you down the aisle and we traded glances, both of us feeling a little sad. The priest asked for any objections and oddly enough no one did. He then asked male Ranma if he would take you as his wife in which he agreed. Here comes the interesting part and when I thought about it after I woke up, it really put a smile on my face."

"Mind if I guess what happened?", Akane said as her eyes searched those of her girlfriend. Before she knew it, the two of them were holding a long and passionate kiss for over a minute as their hands separated and wandered to cup the other girl's face. The raven haired girl pressed her chest forward and Ranma leaned backward, bringing the other girl down with her. They continued to kiss one another feverishly and their bodies began to mold with one another as they moaned in pleasure. Their bra covered breasts rubbed against one another and their womanhoods started heated up as a tingling sensation they were intimately familiar with spread throughout their bodies. Akane deepened the kisses and soon their tongues were fencing with one another.

After kissing for a few minutes, the Tendo girl broke the kiss and laid her head on her girlfriend's soft breasts and said, "I probably told male Ranma that I couldn't marry him before turning around and telling you that I had always loved you. At that point we probably kissed, in front of everyone, and then ran away from the ceremony together."

"Yeah", Ranma said dreamily as her fingers lightly traced a pattern on the other girl's mostly bare back. "When I woke up, I realized that I was the female Ranma character in the dream, not male Ranma. In that moment I realized I had everything I ever wanted. I was, and still am, very grateful for that, for you. I love you so much Akane and I never want to lose you again."

"I love you too Ranma", Akane said as she kissed her girlfriend on the lips very softly, almost teasingly and whispered sensually, "You don't have to worry about ever losing me, even if you get split in two somehow. You're mine girlfriend, just like I am yours. Forever."

The raven haired girl climbed off her lover and helped the redhead up sit up as she said, "Let's get dressed and go dancing!"

* * *

><p>An hour later, Akane and Ranma walked hand in hand towards Furinkan High. They no longer cared if people saw them holding hands or even kissing tastefully in public as a couple of girls. The only opinion that mattered to either one was their girlfriend's, no one else's. They loved to tease their friends with their lighter public displays of affection but realized they would probably need to tone it down in the future. It occurred to them that maybe they had started taking their teasing too far earlier when Nabiki was paying them their winnings. They loved each other so much they found it nearly impossible not to express it after suppressing their true feelings for so very long.<p>

Akane looked over at her girlfriend and smiled warmly as she gently squeezed the other girl's hand. Ranma was wearing a beautiful pink dress that fell to her mid calves. The bodice was modestly cut showing only a hint of cleavage and the sleeves extended midway down her biceps. The bottom of the sleeves were trimmed in red as was the hem of her skirt. In accordance with the pink and red theme, Ranko was wearing Akane's red flats as well as a pair of heart shaped clip on earrings. The raven haired girl had helped her girlfriend with her makeup, applying a light touch of eye shadow and blush to draw out the girl's blue eyes and pink cheeks respectively. To complete the look, the redhead applied a light touch of red lipstick making her look absolutely stunning.

Ranma smiled warmly as she looked over at her fiancée as she returned the other girl's soft hand squeeze. Akane was wearing a lovely red dress that fell just below her knees. The bodice was modestly cut showing only a hint of cleavage and the sleeves ran down to her wrists. The bottom of the sleeves as well as the hem of the skirt were trimmed in black. The Tendo girl was wearing a pair of black flats as well as a second set of heart shaped clip on earrings. After helping Ranma with her makeup, Akane applied a touch of eye shadow and blush to make her brown eyes darker and more mysterious while lightening her cheeks at the same time. To finish off the look, the raven haired girl added a light touch of red lip stick which made her look absolutely gorgeous.

The two girls giggled about one thing or another as they continued on towards the school's gymnasium for the dance. Once they reached the door, they handed a girl their tickets and walked in, still holding each other hands.

* * *

><p>"Akane? Ranma?", Yuka and Sayuri squealed as they bounced over towards their friends and looked them up and down as Yuka said, "You two look absolutely beautiful. You know Ranma, it really isn't fair that you make a more gorgeous girl than most of us that were born female."<p>

"Yuka, Sayuri", Ranma giggled softly as she looked at both of her friends with a warm smile on her lips. "I thank you for your compliment and both of you look wonderful as well."

The four girls walked back over towards the table Yuka and Sayuri had originally saved for them. Mousse was sitting there, looking quite handsome in a rental suit and smiled when Sayuri returned to his side.

The group of five were talking casually for awhile when Daisuke walked up to their table and said, "Excuse me Yuka? I was w-wondering if you would do me the honor of allowing me to dance with you?"

Yuka looked over at Ranma with a silent question in her brown eyes. The redhead smiled as she nodded her head and said, "Go ahead Yuka, Daisuke is a good guy and his wandering hands will behave themselves, _right_?"

The brown haired boy gulped and nodded as he caught the inflection in Ranma's voice promising pain if he behaved like a pervert. The other three girls giggled while Ranma's smile turned into a mischievous grin letting his old friend know she was kidding around, mostly.

"Akane, may I have this dance?", Ranma asked as she stood up and offered her hand to her seated girlfriend.

"I would love to", the tomboy replied as she smiled and the two girls walked out onto the dance floor. Akane rested her hand on her date's shoulder while Ranma slid her arm around her fiancée's waist. Their remaining hands joined together and they began dancing in a waltz like style even though they didn't really know what they were doing. They alternated who lead and were pretty good about not stepping on each other's feet.

About an hour into the event, Ranma and Akane were just about to get up to dance again after taking a small break when the gymnasium doors exploded inward. Screams filled the air as the dust settled revealing a badly banged up fang toothed martial artist holding an umbrella in his right hand. The boy's olive eyes scanned the gathered group of well dressed students until his eyes fell upon a certain redhead and her companions. An ugly sneer crossed his lips when he noticed that Akane was standing right out next to his target.

"Damn it", Ranma said as she turned to face Ryoga completely, intent on protecting her friends even though she didn't really want to wreck her girlfriend's dress. The redhead noticed a weird looking dagger on the part time pig's belt but paid little attention to it.

Akane walked from behind her lover and glared at the pervert in front of her as she growled, "Didn't we already deal with this moron once today?"

"I'm amazed he made it back here so soon", the redhead replied sarcastically.

"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!", the lost boy snarled and leveled his umbrella at his old time enemy. "I've seen hell because of you and now, finally, I will send you there myself!"

"Look Ryoga, can't we talk about this?", Ranma replied as she edged away from the table where her friends were sitting trying to get close to the fruit punch bowl. She really didn't want to fight and thought forcing P-chan to appear would end any problems a lot quicker.

"There's nothing to talk about", Ryoga shouted as he clenched a fist and punched a nearby wall, putting a sizable hole in it. "You've put me through hell with your carelessness. You've stolen Akane from me..."

"I was never yours you moron!", Akane shouted as she clenched her fists and glared at her one time acquaintance. "I was never interested in you as a potential boyfriend you pervert! In fact, after what you did to me I'd rather kiss Kuno than you!" The rest of the students gasped in shock and revulsion at that proclamation as whispers started spreading around the gymnasium.

"Hey Ryoga, what happened to Akari?", Ranma asked snidely as she crossed her arms over her chest, knowing the answer.

"She dumped me and it's all your fault!", the lost boy growled as he stalked closer towards the two girls he wanted revenge on. He reached into his pocket and palmed the purple jewel he had stashed inside, ready to begin his final revenge.

"How was it my fault?", the redhead countered as she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You're the one who was cheating on her trying to steal my fiancée from me. You're the one who gets so lost she didn't see you for months at a time. You're the one who lied and betrayed Akane. Kasumi was the one who called Akari and told her of your sins against the Tendos. You have no one but to blame for yourself pig boy. Why don't you..."

"Shut up!", Ryoga shouted as he stalked closer, his grip tightening on his umbrella. "I'm going to destroy you Ranma, by taking away what you care about most. I'll let you live knowing you've lost everything and that I finally beat you."

"Oh please, I can beat you wearing this dress just like I did this afternoon or do you not remember that little tornado I hit you with?", Ranma replied snidely as something began tickling her danger sense. Something wasn't right but she couldn't figure out what was wrong. The redhead looked over at her girlfriend and noticed a puzzled expression on her face as well.

Ranma thought for a moment and a memory came to her unbidden.

_"My beautiful daughter and the love of her life", Kimiko said softly as she slipped her hands in between those of the raven haired girl and the redhead. She closed her eyes as a soft yellow glow spread from the point of contact all throughout the girls' bodies bringing warmth and peace to the young women's minds. "Take a piece of my soul daughter and her lover. May it strengthen your soul bond, allowing it to survive when it's testing later this day. An old enemy comes for you, more powerful than ever before. Take heed my daughter and guard your heart for it will surely be under attack as your flesh will be. Ranma, be aware of your surroundings always, and beware a possible betrayal from near by."_

_"Mother?", Akane asked dreamily as her hands squeezed both her mother's and her girlfriend's hands tighter._

_"I'm here honey", the Tendo matriarch said as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She leaned over the girls and the tear landed with a soft splash on their joined hands. A soft blue light, similar to the fire she stepped out of when she appeared in the dojo, began to emanate from their joined hands and spread throughout the girls' bodies. "I love you Akane, my wonderful baby child. Know that I will always be with you. Tap into your inner strength and use it to protect your loved ones as well as yourself."_

_"I love you too mommy", Akane whispered and pressed her body into the back of her girlfriend, trying to get as close as possible._

_"Ranma", Kimiko said softly as she looked at the petite redhead in front of her. "Protect my baby girl I beg you. She will come under attack this day in more ways than one. Please, do whatever you can to keep her from succumbing to the darkness. I know you love her more than life itself. I'm proud of you both, finally admitting to one another your true feelings which resonate in more than just your heart."_

_'Beware a possible betrayal from near by?_' It didn't make sense for that to mean Ryoga since the cursed boy was already angry with her and looking murderous. Could it be Akane? No, her girlfriend would never betray her would she? What about that part, _'Protect my baby girl I beg you. She will come under attack this day in more ways than one. Please, do whatever you can to keep her from succumbing to the darkness._'

Ranma narrowed her eyes and launched a Ki-bolt at Ryoga's hidden hand. The lost boy's eyes widened as he was hit at point blank range and flew backwards a good twenty meters. She turned her attention to her girlfriend and noticed that Akane was looking back at her with a blank expression on her face.

"Akane, are you okay?", the redhead asked worriedly as she reached for the Tendo girl's hand.

The raven haired girl walked away from her fiancée without a word and approached the bandana wearing boy that was just getting up from Ranma's Ki attack. Ryoga pulled out the purple jewel and pressed it against the Tendo girl's forehead for a couple seconds.

The Saotome girl charged forward when she noticed the lost boy was using some sort of purple oval shaped object on her girlfriend's forehead. Akane's brown eyes shifted color until they were purple like the jewel and she grabbed the dagger off Ryoga's belt. Ranma's foot collided with the lost boy's skull and everyone winced when they heard the sharp crack of bones breaking.

Ranma turned around to face her girlfriend only to find the curved blade of the _Soul Cleaver_ slicing into her abdomen with inhuman speed. The dagger was a magical weapon designed to separate people's souls from their body and storing it within the hilt. The new empty shell could then used as a mindless slave by whoever held the weapon.

The redhead fell to her knees and looked up at the purple eyed raven haired girl and whispered in shock, "A-Akane?"

"I hate you Ranma", Akane said coldly as she twisted the blade and pushed it deeper into the redhead's stomach, rupturing a number of organs.

"W-what?", the Saotome heiress asked as she struggled to stay conscious. She could feel her lifeblood flowing out of her abdomen fairly quickly and the sounds of people screaming became muted as her vision began to dim as she began to fade into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, the dagger began to glow in an eerie blue light which spread to encompass both Ranma and Akane's bodies entirely. The Saotome heiress looked up at her fiancée with a look of utter betrayal in her stormy blue eyes and tried to gasp one last thing but no sound emerged. The redhead could feel her body separating as though her physical form and soul were being ripped from her body. Her essence flowed into the dagger that was still buried to the hilt in her abdomen. Akane's eyes lost their purple glow and she felt as though part of her soul was being torn from her body, flowing into the short bladed weapon. The Tendo girl looked, unseeing for a moment, at a male Ranma wearing her pink dress despite the lack of hot liquid nearby to cause the change. Akane's eyes noticed none of that though as her eyes fell upon her bloodied hands grasping the hilt of the dagger sticking out of the black haired boy's body and fell to her knees.

"Ranma!", Akane screamed at the top of her lungs not understanding what had happened. Somehow, all the hate she had felt for Ryoga had been swapped with the absolute love she felt for her red haired girlfriend. Since Ranko was attacking, and possibly killing her love, she had snatched the dagger from the lost boy's belt and stabbed her new hated enemy. Both Ranma and Ryoga were alive though barely.

"No Ranma please! Please come back, I didn't mean to hurt you", the tomboy wailed hysterically as tears cascaded down her cheeks. She buried her head in her boyfriend's chest and pleaded, "Ranma! Please, don't leave me. I love you!"

Unnoticed by everyone, the dagger that had drawn out Ranma's girl side and the part of Akane's soul that had bonded with the redhead disappeared like a fine mist being burned away by the sun. A ghostly woman with short blue hair shook her head sadly at the scene and wanted desperately to comfort her daughter and the dying Ranma but knew she had little time. If the Tendo matriarch was going to save Ranko, Ranma's emerging second soul as well as most of Akane's spirit, she would have to take them to the Astral Plane before they dissipated into nothingness.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A<strong>_**_uthor's Notes: _**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone that has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._


	17. Rising from the Ashes

Disclaimer:

Sadly I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima and the colorful characters the kind author Rumiko Takahashi has so graciously created for us. Without further ado, on with the show. I hope you enjoy it.

.

**_The Heart of Akane Tendo_**

Epilogue

_Rising from the Ashes_

.

.

Kimiko Tendo watched the events of the evening continue from her vantage point in the Astral Plane. Despite warning Ranma the night before, events had transpired horribly anyway and she wondered if perhaps the redhead hadn't understood or if it was destiny. She looked at the dagger in her hands and sighed. Grasping the hilt in one hand and the blade in the other, the elder Tendo snapped the _Soul Cleaver_ in two.

Mist appeared to flow out of the destroyed weapon and coalesced into a petite red haired girl with sparkling blue eyes wearing a beautiful pink dress. Her scarlet locks cascaded down her back long enough to reach her kidneys. A second layer of her long hair flowed through a white bow on the back of her head and rested on top of the main layer.

"Mrs. Tendo?", Ranko asked hesitantly as she recognized the woman standing next to her.

"Hello Ranko dear", the Tendo matriarch said sadly as she turned her attention towards the scene developing in Furinkan High School's gymnasium. "I told you I would be seeing you again soon. I just hoped it wouldn't be this way."

"Am I dead?", the redhead asked softly as she too turned to watch what was happening below.

"No. Your spirit, as well as your female form were ripped out of your old body", Kimiko replied as she turned to regard the girl besides her. "From this point on Ranko, you are your own person. Since you are no longer part of Ranma, he no longer changes when he's hit by water. The dagger that sealed your soul, as well as my daughter's, stripped the curse from him completely."

"I see. What happens now?", the ex-Saotome heiress asked hesitantly.

"I don't know...", the older woman said sadly as she trailed off. They fell silent and continued watching the events unfold below.

* * *

><p>Shortly after Akane screamed her head off while Ranma lay bleeding to death, Doctor Tofu and Kasumi ran over to see what they could do to help. Nabiki called emergency services and told the dispatcher they needed an ambulance for a stabbing victim. No one seemed to pay Ryoga much attention as he lay on the ground from when Ranma had kicked him in the head. Kasumi and Tofu tried to staunch the black haired boy's excessive bleeding and were concerned he wouldn't make it. The weapon that made the gash was no longer present to plug the hole.<p>

Akane sat off to the side, face ashen as she muttered to herself begging to wake up and that it had to be some sort of horrific nightmare. Yuka and Sayuri stood by her and tried to offer what support they could despite the fact that it looked like their friend had murdered Ranma in cold blood.

A short time later, emergency personnel arrived and took control of the scene. The medical workers paused long enough to notice that the male stabbing victim was wearing a dress and feminine undergarments before shrugging the weird sight to the side. They had a patient to save after all. They loaded Ranma into a waiting ambulance after making sure the boy was stable enough to survive transit. Kasumi volunteered to ride along to the hospital with her future brother-in-law. One of the medical technicians checked Ryoga and found that the boy was conscious but unable to move. A second ambulance was called and the eternal lost boy was taken away to the same hospital.

The police prevented anyone else from leaving and tried to piece together exactly what had happened from dozens upon dozens of witnesses. The students informed the officers about the relationships as they understood them between Ranma, Ryoga and Akane.

"Akane Tendo?", one of the officers asked tentatively as he looked at the stunned and very pale face of a dark haired girl being comforted by two other girls.

The youngest Tendo barely looked up as her vacant eyes looked to see who addressed her. "Yes?"

"Would you please stand up?", the man asked calmly.

Akane nodded slowly and stood up, not quite understanding what was going on in her state of shock.

"You're under arrest for the Attempted Murder of Ranma Saotome. Place your hands behind your back and turn around please", the officer said firmly and clapped a pair of handcuffs on the youngest Tendo wrists before he continued reading her rights. It wasn't much of a stretch considering the number of witnesses who had watched her stab the red haired girl she had come to the dance with or the amount of the blood she had on her hands and clothes.

* * *

><p>Ranma was rushed to the emergency room as soon as they reached the hospital. Kasumi was asked to wait in the lobby until one of the doctors approached her and inquired whether she knew anyone that matched their patient's rare blood type. She informed them the name of Ranma's parents fairly certain no one else would be a match if they weren't. The elder Tendo daughter called home and found Nodoka was still awake but Genma hadn't returned yet. After speaking with the older woman for a few minutes the elder Saotome arrived at the hospital as quickly as she could. She was led back to her son's room where they typed her blood, hoping she would prove to be a suitable donor. Ranma's life hung in the balance and only a blood transfusion would save him.<p>

The doctors sighed in relief when they found that Nodoka was a close enough match not to cause any major problems. They extracted the one pint of blood they were allowed to and hoped they could get more from a nearby blood bank for the rest. The Saotome matriarch demanded they take more of her blood, whatever they needed so that her son would live but they refused. As soon as the blood was purified and ready, they fed it into Ranma's body hoping it would be enough to help the boy's system enough to heal on its own.

* * *

><p>Another doctor was looking over Ryoga and noticed the boy was awake. After talking with the youth for awhile and asking him to try moving his limbs, the doctor suspected the martial artist was paralyzed from the neck down, truly a fate worse than death for a boy like him. The doctor set up an x-ray machine and sighed when he saw damage in the boy's lower skull and neck. There was nothing they could do for him and he had been contacted by the police that lost boy was wanted for questioning when it was possible to do so. Sighing heavily, the doctor signed the order to have Ryoga transferred to the Nerima Police Department in the morning.<p>

* * *

><p>After she found out that Akane Tendo had been arrested and Ryoga Hibiki was transferred to police custody, Detective Imikara groaned as she had to deal with yet another case involving the Tendos and likely the Saotomes. She wondered if perhaps Ryoga was who Akane had tried to kill but found it was in fact the girl's boyfriend, Ranma that was listed as the victim. Not accustomed to being confused, she decided to get to the bottom of the mystery quickly. She prepared two truth serums and had both teenagers brought to her special chambers. Gloss injected Akane first and then Ryoga before heading back out to her office to take care of paperwork while she waited for the serums to take effect.<p>

A little while later, Detective Imikara approached Akane and tapped her awake. She asked the girl to relate what she had done Saturday and listened as the youngest Tendo began her tale. Akane told the older woman about her doubles match with Ranma as her partner against Ryoga and Taro and how her team had been victorious. The tomboy continued as she described the Valentine's Day dance in the evening.

"Things were going great", Akane said sadly as she looked down at the floor and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ranma and I were dancing, spending time with our friends and having fun like normal teenagers. That was when pig boy, Ryoga, had to ruin everything again! He burst into the gymnasium and started ranting and raving about how he had seen hell because of Ranma like he always does. Something was different though, instead of attacking like he usually does, he was playing with a purple jewel. It flashed and suddenly I felt as though I was trapped inside my own mind only able to watch as my body moved towards my hated enemy."

"Why do you hate Ryoga?", Gloss asked suddenly as she knitted her eyebrows.

"It's a long story", Akane replied tiredly as she sighed heavily. "Suffice it to say he masqueraded as my pet pig for nearly two years watching me change, listening to my secrets and snuggling against my chest. He's always hated Ranma and was doing everything he could to break the two of us up telling lies and convincing me things that weren't Ranma's fault were. He poisoned our relationship."

"Okay, I can certainly see why you would hate him for that", Miss Imikara replied as she nodded her head. "Are you the one that paralyzed him?"

"Ryoga's paralyzed?", the Tendo girl asked, unable to believe it before she started chuckling darkly. "Serves the bastard right after everything he's done or tried to do. Now he really will know hell. I'll answer your question in a moment Detective. Anyways, my body walked towards Ryoga and he placed the jewel against my forehead. Suddenly, all the hate and anger I felt towards Ryoga was transferred to my girlfriend, Ranma, while all the unconditional love I felt for her transferred itself to Ryoga. The bastard was going to make me some sort of love slave while I was forced to hate my true love!"

Akane sighed as more tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "That's when Ranma jumped kicked Ryoga in the head/neck area. I'm guessing that's what paralyzed him or perhaps when his skull cracked on the gymnasium floor, I don't know. What I do know is because of Ryoga's jewel, I saw my 'true love' being attacked by my 'hated foe'. I grabbed the dagger pig boy had on his belt and slashed my girlfriend's abdomen open with it before telling her that I hated her and plunged the blade deep into her body."

"I'm not sure how, but I was shocked out of my hate filled haze and my vision cleared", Akane said before hesitating for a few moments. "That was when I found I could control my body again and rushed to Ranma's side, apologizing for my actions and begging her not to die."

"Damn it", the Tendo girl wailed as she cried uncontrollably. "This is all Ryoga's fault! I hope he suffers for eternity for this just as I will have to now. My soul mate is dead, my love is gone!"

In her anguish, Akane finally noticed she was wearing an orange jumpsuit and was shackled to a special chair built directly into the wall. "Um, Detective, why am I chained to a chair wearing an orange jumpsuit? Am I under arrest?"

"We have charged you with the Attempted Murder of Ranma Saotome", the ex-amazon replied as she raised a hand to signal not to interrupt her. "I will be questioning Hibiki in a little while and we'll go from there. I believe you, but it may not be quite so simple to clear you since dozens of witnesses saw you acting normally before suddenly trying to kill your friend in cold blood."

Akane felt the blood drain from her face as she bowed her head and nodded. The raven haired girl made no effort to resist when the detective escorted her back to her jail cell to await more information. Back in her cell, something the Detective said registered and a glimmer of hope manifested within her heart. Attempted Murder, not Murder. That meant she hadn't succeeded in killing her fiancé though she couldn't be sure.

* * *

><p>"Ranko dear", Kimiko said as she approached her companion. "I have something very important to talk to you about, do you have a moment?"<p>

The redhead giggled softly as she tore her gaze from her depressed girlfriend who was sitting in jail crying her eyes out and said, "I have all eternity don't I?"

"Actually you don't", the elder Tendo replied. "You see, since you are alive you're only allowed to stay here for a limited time. The problem is you don't have a physical body in the realm of Earth so you would have to be put back in Ranma's body. Given circumstances as they are presently, unless he acquired some Nyannīchuan water, you would never have your physical form again."

"What?", Ranko shouted as she clenched her fists in anger. "I would be trapped in Ranma's head for the rest of his life?"

"Yes unfortunately", Kimiko replied sadly.

"Couldn't you put me in Akane's body or something instead? I'm a girl and I love her more than anything. At least that way we could be together in spirit if nothing else", the redhead replied.

"Wouldn't you be even more miserable that way? I'm sure my baby daughter would be too, knowing her soul mate and true love were nearby but unable to be with her", the blue haired woman said as she shook her head sadly.

"How is being stuck in Ranma's head any better?", Ranko retorted as she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.

"Didn't you order some Nyannīchuan for that Konatsu character recently?", Kimiko asked softly. "If he doesn't want it, Ranma could re-curse himself and you would have your body back at least while he was female."

"How does that solve anything though?", the ex-Saotome heiress asked quietly, her anger draining slowly away only to be replaced with frustration. "I would still be stuck in Ranma's head just like before unless I was able to control the body."

"True, but then you could maybe find something that would truly split the two of you apart rather than absorb either of your souls", the other woman replied.

Ranko stared at the bleak and featureless landscape around her and sighed. What she wouldn't give to be separate from her other half and free to explore her relationship with the raven haired girl she loved so much. While being stuck in Ranma's head again was far from an ideal solution, if he re-cursed himself it could work especially if she regained control of the body while it was female just like before Ryoga's attack.

"Alright Mrs. Tendo", the redhead said after a few minutes of silence. "I guess I don't really have much of a choice anyway. I might as well become part of Ranma again. However, I don't want to lose my budding identity. I need something that separates me from him other than the fact that I'm a girl and he's a boy."

"How separate? You already have an interest in music and plan to start learning how to play an instrument", Kimiko replied. "You are friends with Yuka and Sayuri, something Ranma would never have considered doing."

"That's all stuff he could have done without my interference even though it's doubtful he ever would", Ranko replied as she contemplated things for a few more moments. "I need something that he would never think or want to do because of his dedication to martial arts. Some defining feature or characteristic. I don't like fighting particularly and don't really want to pursue the Art to the exclusion of everything else anymore."

"How about a different Art?", the blue haired woman said thoughtfully. "I happen to know a good magic user that would be happy to teach you, at least the rudiments of the magical arts. It would separate you from your other half and give you ways to deal with problems without beating them into the ground with your fists."

"I would be able to wield magic instead of always being a victim of it?", the ex-Saotome heiress asked incredulously as her blue eyes widened in surprise and delight.

"If you like, there is a price however", Kimiko replied solemnly as she took the smaller girl's hands into her own.

"There always is...", Ranko replied softly as she turned her attention back towards Nerima.

* * *

><p>In the days following Akane's arrest and Ranma's near death at her hands, the Tendo and Saotome families nervously awaited word about their two youngest members. Nodoka practically lived at the hospital, eagerly waiting for her son to wake up and recover. She had discovered at some point that Ranma no longer changed into a girl when hit with cold water and couldn't help but feel a little sad at the loss of her daughter. Genma and Soun spent the days getting drunk as they bemoaned the fate of the their precious martial arts schools if Ranma were to die and Akane were to remain incarcerated. Kasumi tried to distract herself from worrying about her little sister by spending time with Doctor Tofu since there was nothing she could do to help. Nabiki spent a lot of time studying for finals trying to occupy her mind so she wouldn't get overwhelmed by the fact that her little sister was in jail.<p>

In light of Hibiki's confession, Akane was acquitted of the Attempted Murder charge and was allowed to return home. Her family picked her up at the police station and Kasumi informed her that Ranma was still in the hospital but was expected to make a full recovery. Even though Akane was really glad Ranma was going to be okay, depression quickly dominated her when she realized she would never see her girlfriend again and wondered if her fiancé would hate her. She spent the next few days in her room, skipping meals and crying constantly as she wrestled with the foreign concept that the girl she had been madly in love with, or was it lust, was still a part of Ranma even if her body wasn't.

One afternoon in the middle of her depression, Akane was in her room listening to the radio when a new favorite song of hers started playing. She walked over and turned up the volume, quite certain the tears she had shed for her lost girlfriend wouldn't be the last. She stared at a picture of Ranma and her wearing their Valentine's Day dresses just before they had left for the dance. Tears rolled off her face and landed with a soft plop just as the female lead singer started singing the first verse.

_(Must have been love... But it's over now.)_

_Lay a whisper, On my pillow  
>Leave the winter, On the ground<br>I wake up lonely, There's air of silence  
>In the bedroom, And all around, (All around)<em>

_Touch me now, I close my eyes  
>And dream away.<em>

_It must have been love  
>But it's over now<br>It must have been good  
>But I lost it somehow<br>It must have been love  
>But it's over now<br>From the moment we touched  
>'Til the time had run out.<em>

_Make-believing, We're together  
>That I'm sheltered, By your heart<br>But in and outside, I've turned to water  
>Like a teardrop, In your palm<br>And it's a hard, Winter's day  
>I dream away.<em>

_It must have been love, (Must have been love)  
>But it's over now, (But it's over now)<br>It was all that I wanted  
>Now I'm living without<br>It must have been love, (Must have been love)  
>But it's over now<br>It's where the water flows  
>It's where the wind blows.<em>

_It must have been love, (Must have been love)  
>But it's over now, (But it's over now)<br>It must have been good  
>But I lost it somehow<br>It must have been love, (Must have been love)  
>But it's over now, (But it's over now)<br>From the moment we touched  
>'Til the time had run out.<em>

_Yeah  
>It must have been love, (It must have been love)<br>But it's over now, (But it's over now)  
>It was all that I wanted<br>Now I'm living without  
>It must have been love<br>But it's over now  
>It's where the water flows<br>It's where the wind blows._

_Oh  
>It must have been love<br>But it's over now, (But it's over now), (But it's over now)  
>Now I'm all alone, (It must have been love)<br>It must have been love, (But it's over now)  
>But it's over now<br>Now I'm all alone..._

*Must Have Been Love by the artist group Roxette

At the conclusion of the song, Akane shut the radio off but rather than bury her head in her pillows and cry uncontrollably, she sat down on her bed and started mulling over the words of the song. They spoke of a love lost, whether that meant the loved one had died or left was unclear. It also didn't matter as there was no reconciliation in the song. Her relationship with Ranma wasn't like the song was it?

'_Ranma isn't dead, at least not the person inside_', Akane thought to herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes. '_I've been in love with him for awhile now, even before he fully accepted his girl side. I'm going to miss my best friend/girlfriend so much and I wonder if Ranma would be willing to re-curse himself. No, bad Akane, you can't ask him to do that..._'

Turning her thoughts back towards the words of the song, the raven haired girl though, '_I'm not all alone, or at least I won't be once he comes home from the hospital right?_'

Akane felt the blood drain from her face at that thought, what if Ranma hated her for stabbing him even though she wasn't in control of her actions? What if he could never forgive her? The last thing she had said to him that he responded to was that she hated him. '_Has time run out for us? Have I lost him/her forever? Oh Ranma, please say we still have a chance to be together..._'

The raven haired girl felt tears running down her cheeks as she buried her head in her pillows, depression taking hold of her once again as her mind presented her with the horrible scenario that Ranma would end everything between them because of Ryoga's scheming.

* * *

><p>A few more days passed before Nodoka brought Ranma home from the hospital. Everyone except Akane surrounded the young martial artist and welcomed him home while trying to hug him. The raven haired girl stood off to the side, with her head bowed and hands clasped in front of her, trying not to intrude on the reunion. She didn't feel worthy to approach him because she still blamed herself for putting him in the hospital in the first place.<p>

"Ranma...", Akane said softly as she looked up with tears running down her face.

"Akane...", Ranma said, voice thick with emotion as he walked toward his fiancée. He was confused why she was standing next to the stairs crying, but not making any move towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her stiffen for a second before melting into his embrace. "What's wrong?"

"I'm glad to see that you're alright", the youngest Tendo said, choking on her tears, "I was so worried that you..."

"Shh...", the black haired boy said as he pulled back a little and looked into her tear filled eyes. "I know you didn't mean it and I know Ryoga did something to you to make you behave that way. I don't blame you and it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"It... I-It doesn't? Y-you don't h-hate me?", Akane stuttered as she tried in vain to get her emotions under control. '_He doesn't hate me? How can he still care about me after everything I've done to him?_'

"Of course not. I could never hate you Akane", Ranma replied as he wiped a couple of her tears away with his thumbs.

The raven haired girl buried her face in the black haired boy's chest and cried harder as she choked out, "I tried to kill you..."

"Ryoga tried to make you kill me", the pony tailed martial artist corrected earnestly as he rubbed the tomboy's back trying to comfort the distraught girl. "Please don't cry Akane. You know I can't stand to see you cry."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Ranma found Akane sitting on the roof over her bedroom looking up at the stars thinking about everything that had happened over the three weeks since the failed wedding. The Tendo girl wondered what could have happened to cause her to throw herself at the boy turned girl that her fiancé became since their trip to the Meiji Shrine that fateful day. She thought back to her wish, that Ranma would completely embrace his girl side and for her own spirit be freed and wondered just how much of it had come true. Given that the two of them, normally very reserved, had freely engaged in a fairly physical lesbian affair it would appear that her wish had been granted a little too well. That was until she used that weird dagger Ryoga had which seemed to draw Ranma's girl side completely out of him not to mention her own freed spirit. That's it! The dagger reversed the wish and returned the two of them to how they were just after the failed wedding. They had their memories true, but it was almost as if the last three weeks had never happened.<p>

"Mind if I join you?", Ranma asked and proceeded to sit down when Akane nodded.

"I'm glad you're back Ranma, I missed you while you were in the hospital", the raven haired girl said as she looked down at the roof. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you, but I was going through something and I couldn't face you till you got home."

"It's alright tomboy", the black haired boy said with a smile as he sighed. "I was unconscious the whole time anyway and wouldn't have known you were there. Do you want to talk about what was bothering you?"

"No, yes...", Akane replied as her cheeks turned scarlet and she looked away. "One of the things that was bothering me we talked about earlier. I was afraid you would hate me because I tried to kill you. I know, you said that it wasn't my fault but part of me still feels like it was. It's something I'll have to work through and come to terms with."

Ranma nodded and said, "I understand. I had, heck, I still have to deal with my own demons when I think of Saffron and what I did to him in order to save you and the others. I still have nightmares about it and I suspect I will for a long time."

The Tendo girl turned to look at her companion and smiled softly as she continued, "There's more, and this is a lot harder for me to say. I feel as though I can't ask you to do it, but I really miss your girl form. I know you ordered some Nyannīchuan water for Konatsu but since the trial he's disappeared and no one knows where he went. It showed up this afternoon just before you got home..."

"You really like me better as a girl don't you?", the black haired boy replied slowly as he looked away before Akane could see the tear in his eye roll down his cheek.

"I'm more comfortable with your girl form but I will need to get over that if we're ever going to get married and have a family", Akane replied as she bowed her head and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I've been using it as a crutch these last three weeks and I'd like to really be able to give us a chance. I'm just not sure I can go from you being a girl half or most of the time to never again. Who will I eat ice cream or go shopping with? I'm sorry Ranma, this isn't fair to you and I don't like the fact that I seem to be more attracted to your girl half than your true self but I can't really help it."

"I'll do it Akane, for you", Ranma replied as he wrapped an arm around his fiancée's shoulders while the girl turned to look at him in shock. "After getting used to it for so long, it would just be weird for me not to change anymore and I did enjoy our time together doing girl things. I'm not a man anymore Akane, not really. I'm not a woman either, like you are, but some kind of a hybrid. I know my mother misses her daughter as well and if I'm truly honest with myself, I miss my girl side too. Pops will be mad but I don't care about that."

Akane giggled and returned her housemate's one armed embrace and said quietly, "Thank you Ranma. I need time but I'm confident I'll fall in love with your male side eventually. Will you wait for me?"

"I'll wait as long as you need to", the Saotome heir replied and smiled as the two of them shared a hug before laying back on the roof and looking up at the stars.

After the two teenagers stargazed for awhile and talked about various topics, they slipped into Akane's bedroom through the window and walked into her closet where the cask of Nyannīchuan water was hidden. Akane asked her companion if he was absolutely sure he wanted to curse himself again, saying that if he did, he should do it because he wanted to, not because of her. Ranma assured her that he was fine with being both sexes again and in fact preferred it, especially if it helped her. The two teenagers hugged one another for a few minutes before walking down to the bathroom together.

Ranma, dressed only in a tank top and boxer shorts knelt in the drained bathtub and handed the cask of water to his fiancée asking her to do the honors. Akane nodded and opened the container before dumping it over the kneeling boy's head. Her face split into a huge smile when she saw her male companion shrink and turn back into the petite redhead she had become so familiar with over the previous 22 months.

The redhead looked up and saw the expression on the Tendo girl's face, smiling brightly as she said, "I'm whole again, thank you Akane for truly accepting me as both."

Akane knelt down and embraced the other girl, not caring that her own clothes were getting wet and said, "Thank you for coming back to me Ranma."

* * *

><p>"Ranko", Kimiko Tendo said gently as she walked up behind the redhead who was watching Akane dump the Nyannīchuan water over her former body's male form. "I'm afraid your time on this plane is running short and we're going to have to start looking for another option if Ranma doesn't... Oh my, he's decided to re-curse himself?"<p>

"Yes Auntie, just now", Ranko replied as she turned towards the older woman, light causing her blue eyes to sparkle.

"That's wonderful dear, you'll have a body again once Kami-sama puts your spirit back inside of Ranma", the blue haired woman replied as she smiled.

"Um, is that really a good idea?", the redhead asked hesitantly, looking uncertain as she frowned slightly. "Ranma and Akane wanted to start their relationship over to how it was before their souls were bonded at the Meiji Shrine. It doesn't feel right to jump back into Ranma's body especially if I gain control of it when he's female no matter how much I wish I could be with Akane again. They should be able to explore their love for one another without me interfering and confusing them. I most certainly do not want to be a spectator for the rest of my life. Aren't there any other options?"

"There might be", the elder Tendo replied as she continued to watch her daughter and fiancé. "Why don't you go train for awhile and I'll give this some thought."

* * *

><p>Over the next couple of weeks, life calmed down and looked something like what most people would consider normal. For people who grew up in Nerima, and the Tendo dojo in particular, it was weird how quiet things were. Ranma and Akane became close friends in both genders again and kept their touches mostly innocent. The Saotome heir continued to train the tomboy in martial arts while she helped him with his school work. The four of them, Ranma, Akane, Yuka and Sayuri had to put in a lot of hours on their project to get it done in time thanks to the interruption Ryoga had caused.<p>

Tofu and Kasumi saw more and more of each other and the nervous doctor proposed. The elder Tendo daughter accepted and the two decided they would marry New Years Day the following year. Yuka and Daisuke decided to try dating for awhile and seemed to enjoy themselves. Sayuri and Mousse got closer but neither one of them felt they were ready for anything more serious than dating for the time being. As expected, Nodoka was thrilled to have her daughter back even if for half the time while Genma wasn't happy with the idea that his son was cursed again.

The Kuno children's lawyers were granted an appeal but they were not set free like they had wanted. The prosecution had agreed that they were still somewhat insane and needed psychiatric help so they were sent to a mental institution. Ukyo and Shampoo filed for appeals as well. The judge thought Kenshin Imikaza's punishment was a little harsh and reduced the chef's sentence to one year in prison and five years probation. Shampoo was denied on the basis that she tried to murder a Japanese citizen and was a Chinese nationalist who was to remain in prison for ten years with lifetime probation.

* * *

><p>Ranko sighed longingly as she stared unseeing into the featureless plane her spirit called home for the time being. Kimiko had informed her that her stay in the Astral Plane would be a short one because she was still alive. The redhead was glad for that at least as it felt like she was in hell having to watch helplessly as Ranma and Akane grew closer together. She wondered if either of them gave her a second thought now that she was out of the picture.<p>

'_Probably not_', the ex-Saotome girl thought bitterly and clenched her fists in anger as her blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She wanted to be free of her extra planar prison but wasn't sure where she would go or what she could do if she truly didn't have a body of her own.

"Ranko dear", Kimiko Tendo said softly as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, bringing the young redhead out of her thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"It's not fair Mrs. Tendo", the smaller girl replied as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm the one who confessed to Akane that day at the Meiji Shrine and set everything in motion. If it wasn't for me, Ranma would probably be floundering along and they never would have gotten together. It should be me down there with her, not him."

"I don't know if that's true", the older woman replied slowly as she the smaller girl turned to face her, tears beginning to roll down the girl's face. "I think they still would have gotten together once the other fiancées were out of the picture. There is no question that your confession and soul binding sped things up considerably though. You two were physical with each other rather quickly. In fact, your courtship of my daughter lasted all of about two weeks while they are on their third week and have barely kissed, let alone done anything remotely close to what you two did with one another."

"I love her so much it's killing me to see them together", Ranko replied as she buried her head into the older woman's shoulder. Kimiko wrapped her arms around the sobbing redhead and tried to soothe the girl's wounded heart. The ex-Saotome heiress missed Akane so badly it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing her in the heart all at once. In between sobs, the redhead choked out, "I can't go on like this anymore. Isn't there something we can do?"

"You said you didn't want to take control of Ranma's body again because it would kill him", the Tendo matriarch said softly as she tightened her embrace around the depressed girl. "Have you changed your mind?"

"No. It still wouldn't be right to take everything away from him but there has to be another option right?", the crying redhead said brokenly as tears cascaded out of her swollen eyes and ran down her puffy cheeks.

"I'm not sure Ranko", Kimiko replied quietly. "I know it's painful to watch your loved ones move on without you and I've been watching for twelve years. I was really glad when you and my baby girl fell in love with one another and she finally allowed herself to truly listen to her heart."

"Then you agree with me, that it should have been me", the redhead replied questioningly as she continued to cry in a vain attempt to release all of her pain and anguish. "I'm the one Akane really loves. I'm her soul mate, not that imposter down there. I even felt her spirit join mine when we were ripped out of our bodies on Valentine's Day."

"Yes Ranko, I agree with you but if you don't want to kill Ranma, I don't see how we have much choice but to accept things as they are now", the Tendo matriarch said morosely as she tightened her embrace.

"You know Auntie, I just realized that the part of Akane's soul that bonded with mine came with me and even now beats within my heart", The ex-Saotome heiress replied as she backed away from her surrogate Aunt. "Even if I returned to Ranma's body, my Akane wouldn't really be there unless I could return the part of her spirit I am holding as well. Damn it, I would do anything if it meant we could be together again like we were before that bastard ruined everything. More than anything I wish..."

"GRANTED!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Notes: <em>**

_I hope you all enjoyed this story. I want to thank everyone that has given my little tale a chance and I hope I can retain your interest for the sequel. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome I just ask you to be nice about it._

_This isn't a true epilogue I suppose but rather a bridge between The Heart of Akane Tendo and the sequel which will be called: A Second Chance at Life and Love. Ranko becomes a main character along with the rest of the Ranma 1/2 cast as she searches for her true love. I hope you will join me in the next story._

_Ja ne_


End file.
